


License to Science (And Kill)

by just_quintessentially_me



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: AU, Action, Adventure, Car Chases, Espionage, F/M, Humor, Romance, Spies, Spy thriller, Thriller, exciting shit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-12
Updated: 2018-01-26
Packaged: 2018-04-20 10:54:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 22
Words: 68,750
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4784708
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/just_quintessentially_me/pseuds/just_quintessentially_me
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When International criminal organization, TITAN, successfully steals an arsenal of missiles along with their encrypted launch codes, Code Blue is initiated. It up to Agent Levi Ackerman, a spy in a class of his own, and Research scientist Hanji Zoe, the premiere authority on the organization, to halt a global catastrophe in its tracks.</p><p>She lowered her glasses, brown eyes blinking over the rims. “Does this mean I have a-” One brow lifted. “License to Science?”</p><p>“No. But I do have a License to Kill. Don’t tempt me to use it.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Italiano available: [License to Science (and Kill) - Licenza scientifica (E di uccidere)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13848021) by [Annabeth_Granger1_Efp](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Annabeth_Granger1_Efp/pseuds/Annabeth_Granger1_Efp)
  * Translation into Italiano available: [License to Science (and Kill) - Licenza scientifica (E di uccidere)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13848021) by [Annabeth_Granger1_Efp](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Annabeth_Granger1_Efp/pseuds/Annabeth_Granger1_Efp)



> Here it is, my Attack on Titan spy thriller AU. This baby is the work product of watching too many spy movies and listening to far faaaar too much classic spy music.
> 
> I wrote the first chapter for Levihan week on tumblr. I've been updating it there, but now I'll try to post accompanying updates here.

It was an ideal morning. The morning rush had come and gone, and now he sat in a corner of his favorite café, sipping a piping hot cup of his very favorite spiced tea, all while skimming the paper. 

He’d nearly finished the local section when a low buzz interrupted his imagined solitude. Sliding the phone from its hiding place beneath the newsprint, he tapped the screen. Bold letters flashed across it.

**BLUE**

Staring down his nose at the flashing letters, he took a slow, deliberate sip of his tea. Setting the down the cup, he breathed a long, measured breath through his nose. There was no helping it. Time to go.

The message was a summoning of sorts. A Code Blue. Not to be mistaken for the hospital terminology. No one was dying. Not yet anyway.

He stood. Sliding his jacket from the back of the chair, he tossed a couple of bills on the table. He left the newspaper in an organized pile beneath them. He sure as hell wouldn’t have time to finish reading it now.

In his line of work, he answered to a system of codes. Colors corresponded to the type and level of the threat.

 **Green** – Local threat. Severity: minimum

 **Yellow** – Domestic threat. Severity: medium

 **Purple** – Domestic threat. Severity: maximum

 **Red** – International threat. Severity: medium

and

 **Blue** – International threat. Severity: maximum

Jacket draped over his shoulder, he took the sidewalk at a brisk stroll. In all his years as an agent, he’d been called in for a grand total of eight Code Reds. Twice as many times as even the most senior agents. This was his first Code Blue.

By the time he arrived at headquarters, he’d come up with ten possible scenarios as to what the source of the Code Blue might be. If he was a betting man, which he wasn’t (he liked to save his bets for when they really counted), he’d guess the threat had to do with some kind of weapon of mass destruction – likely in the hands of an unstable nation. But he’d have to wait and see.  

The building itself was nondescript - mostly. Square in shape and covered in dark, tinted windows, it looked a Rubik Cube’s, boring, monochromatic cousin.

One palm pad, two retinal scans, a voice detector, and a short elevator ride later, he was in. The elevator doors slid open with a ping, revealing the heart of Headquarters.

And it was a fucking mess. 

There were papers strewn about and desk agents scurrying around tightly packed cubicles. One might ascribe the current chaos to whatever situation had led to the Code Blue in the first place. But he knew better. He’d been a personal witness to Headquarters in its current state far too many times before. Some days he had to actually work to restrain himself from rushing in and organizing all those damn papers, if nothing else. But that wasn’t his job. It was a fact he repeated to himself whenever he crossed the bustling floor. 

He worked out there. And they, in here.

He’d nearly made the journey across the zoo when he saw it: the top of a brown clump of messy hair, bobbing and weaving through the crowd.

“Levi!” The sharp voice, unconstrained by any sense of decorum, cut through the crowded room like a knife through butter.

He quickened his pace, ducking his head.

The mess of hair bobbed. She must have stood on her toes, because a pair of glasses peered over the crowd of heads, glinting in the light.

“There you are!”

At the triumphant call, his pace slowed. He’d been made. There was no use running now.

The tall woman pushed her way through the melee, all the while holding a fat, messy file against her chest. As she approached, her smile grew and the eyes behind her glasses adopted a near-manic glint.

That was never a good sign.

“Levi! Am I glad to have caught you!” She greeted him with a light pat on the shoulder – which resulted in her nearly dropping the bursting file. Jerking back, she scooped at sliding papers. Once they were settled, she started walking.

Clearly, he was expected to follow. And he did, but not without an audible sigh of displeasure.

She continued on as if she hadn’t heard it. Perhaps she hadn’t. Hanji Zoe was the head scientist and researcher at the agency. She was brilliant – when she wasn’t off in her own little, weird world.

“I’ll be at Erwin’s debriefing alongside you, but I wanted to start giving you background info now since there’s just _so much_ to cover! I mean, after all – I’ve been studying these guys-”

A tug at her thick ponytail caught her attention. He’d intended to tell her he had no idea what the fuck she was talking about, but as his fingers came in contact with matted, oily hair, he realized there was a more pressing matter vying for his attention.

“ _When_ did you last bathe?”

Behind smudged frames, her eyes flicked back and forth. It looked like she was – counting? A second passed, then two, three, four, five-

“Are you counting the _days?_ ”

Pursing her lips, she blinked. “Probably like three.”

He couldn’t tell if she was lying.

Grabbing her shoulder, he twisted her around. “Go take a shower. I’m not sitting in an enclosed room with you. You probably smell like shit.”

As he pushed between her shoulder blades, attempting to shove her in the direction of the door, she leaned back digging her heels into the floor.

“Erwin’s expecting us soon!”

He pushed harder.

Her shoes squeaked, losing traction. “I’m serious! There’s a lot of information I need to relay to you before you leave!”

“You. Fucking. Stink.” Dipping his head, he added another hand.

And then she was moving, rubber soles pitifully squealing, as he pushed her in a slow path towards the door.

“Levi! You won’t be able to bring down TITAN if you don’t stop for a minute and listen to what I have to say!”

She’d said the magic words. He stopped short. “TITAN?”

With the hands at her back suddenly removed, Hanji stumbled back, barely keeping her balance. Blowing a stray hair from her face, she turned to face him. “Yes. The international, criminal organization with roots in all of the major nations. That TITAN. Interested in listening now?”

“That’s my mission?”

She nodded, somber. “Yes.”

Well then. That explained the Code Blue.

TITAN’s ultimate goal, as far as they could tell, was instigating a fundamental shift in the balance of world power. They’d been able to trace the organization’s origins to about ten years ago. TITAN had been growing in power and influence ever since. Until now, they’d mostly been pulling off rather small-time criminal acts, bank heists, low-key support and funding of certain governmental coups. If he was being called in for a Code Blue, it meant something had changed. Ten years in the making, TITAN was finally making its move.

“What do I need to know?”

She nodded towards the stairs. “Let’s walk.”

Adjusting her glasses, she began to speak. “As you know, I’ve been studying TITAN as a sort of side project for the better part of the last three years.”

He snorted. Side project his ass. She was obsessed. Probably because she wasn’t used to encountering a criminal organization she couldn’t crack.

“In that time, I collected all the intel I could; sifting through photographs, emails, recorded calls – anything that would allow me to dissect the complex organization bit by bit.”

Her lips pressed in a thin line; she stared down at the folder as she walked. “I’ve had very limited success. Their network is vast, and yet they somehow managed to keep their communications covert.” Her eyes flicked up, meeting his. “Until now.”

“You found something.” It wasn’t a question. She had to have found something, otherwise he wouldn’t be here.

“Up until now, they’ve been able to keep their communications relatively secure because they were playing a relatively small game. But recently, they made a more substantial move. And a couple of underground channels caught wind of it.”

They had nearly reached Erwin’s office.

“Four-eyes. Get to the point.”

“Approximately five days ago they managed to steal missiles. Its unconfirmed, but several of them may be of the nuclear variety.”

“You’ve got to be shitting me. And five days ago? How are we just getting wind of this now?”

“The country they were stolen from was being closed-lipped about the whole affair. They wanted to retrieve the missiles with the rest of the world none the wiser.” She rapped twice upon the thick wooden door. “Their attempts at retrieval failed.”

“If the fuckers couldn’t manage to hold on to their weapons in the first place, they sure as hell weren’t going to be able to get them back.”

“Pride is often the downfall of those who think themselves in possession of any great power.”

At that, the door swung open.

Erwin Smith stood before them clad in a suit, with his hair styled in a neat, asymmetrical part. He smiled. “Right on time.”

The office was wide, spacious, and most importantly – clean. After the mess down below, Levi felt like he could once again breathe.

Settling back in a high-backed chair, Erwin sat on one side of the desk, and he and Hanji on the other.

The thick file was summarily dropped on the desk. It landed with a thud.

“I take it you’ve started debriefing him already?”

Hanji nodded, straightening in her seat. “Yes sir.”

Leaning forward, she ruffled through wrinkled pages. “The important detail that I was just getting to was this: Two days ago, TITAN pulled off a second heist. They made off with the launch codes.”

He sat back in his chair. If that was the case, why hadn’t they made a move?

“In this matter, we’ve had a small stroke of luck. The code is encrypted. From the sounds of it, they’ve been unable to decrypt it as of yet.”

“Without those codes, the missiles won’t launch. Not without being gutted and put back together.” Erwin addressed him over folded hands. “We believe the codes are being held in a secure facility in the region of Yugoslavia.” A pause. “Agent Ackerman, your mission is this: Go to Yugoslavia and retrieve the launch codes.” His lips twisted in a wry grin. “Preferably before they decrypt them.”

“I accept.”

Hanji was on the edge of her seat. “Alright! Now not to rush, but I’ve got to relay the contents of _this_.” She waved at the bursting file. “To you, in less than-” She glanced up at the clock. “Two hours.” She clapped her hands. “Let’s get started.”

Erwin closed the folder. “That won’t be necessary.”

The look she gave him was scandalized. “But-”

He smoothly continued. “You’ll have plenty of time to fully debrief Agent Ackerman on the plane.”

She tilted her head. “Wha-”

Erwin turned to him. “Because of her vast knowledge concerning this particular organization, on this mission, Hanji Zoe will be accompanying you.”

Silence.

A second later they spoke, their surprised voices ringing out - hers then his.

“Huh?”

“Shit.”


	2. Chapter 2

“Questions?”

The file flipped closed. She looked expectantly up.

Levi sat across from her. To his credit, after sitting through her three hour TITAN debriefing, the man looked only mildly bored. When she’d practiced in front of her cats, Sawney and Bean, they’d both fallen asleep within the first five minutes. But that might very well have been because they were, in fact, cats.

With one leg crossed over the other and his chin braced on a fist, he blinked at her question.

She tried again. “Levi? You get all of that?”

Rolling his shoulders, he straightened in his seat. “Yes.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

“I didn’t have any questions.”

“You don’t normally work with a partner, do you?” She said, stuffing the overstuffed folder in her bag.

“Is this your first time in the field?”

He was completely ignoring the question then. Though she assumed the answer was a ‘no’. 

Levi had been in the agency nearly as long as she. She didn’t exactly keep tabs on the guy, but she didn’t ever hear about him working with anyone else either. Like his style of dress: fitted slacks, an ironed, white button up shirt, with a dark jacket and shiny black shoes, as an agent he was efficient, put-together, and his methods, refined. In the field, he completed mission after mission – no matter the difficulty – without fail.

He didn’t often work with partners, she imagined, because not many could keep up.

“Four-eyes. I said, is this your first time in the field?”

“You didn’t answer my question, so I’m not answering yours.” She shrugged, matter-of-fact.

Titling his head, he sighed, “Not usually.”

“That’s what I thought.”

“Then why-”

“No – I don’t think I’ve ever been in the field.” She paused, considering. Unless she counted…“Well there was that time they thought that terrorist group was stockpiling weapons in the sewers. I went down to take a few samples of-”

“No.”

She smiled, leaning back in her chair. “Guess not then. You’ll have to show me the ropes!”

“There aren’t any _ropes_ to show. You either know what the hell you’re doing, or you don’t.”

If his flat stare was any indication, she had a good guess as to which category he felt she belonged.

“Good thing I’m a fast learner.”

Shaking his head, he looked out the window. “Agents who don’t know what they’re doing in the field, _die_ in the field.” He paused, watching the sea of clouds below. When he spoke, it was more to himself than her. “What the hell was Erwin thinking.”

“That you need me on this one.”

Turning away from the window, he met her stare. This time, he didn’t argue.

Because it was true. 

Erwin had the rare, but practical ability to separate logic and emotion. She had no doubt that he’d considered her inexperience in the field as well as the danger it posed both of them. But he’d sent her along anyway. Because of the simple fact that her being here made the mission more likely to succeed.

Levi knew Erwin as well as she. Surely he understood this.

He re-crossed his legs with a sigh. “When we’re out there, just –for once – do as I say.”

She assured him with a smile. “Sure thing.”

He didn’t return it.

* * *

They banked to land as the sun crested the horizon. Hanji watched with heavy lids as clouds parted and the sprawling city of Belgrade opened beneath them. The city, a crowded mixture of neighborhoods and towering cityscapes looked like a watercolor painting; the rising sun had bathed it in vibrant hues of pink and yellow.  

As she watched, head braced against the window, the buildings grew large and she could see the first cars, trailing like ants through the square blocks of city. It was her first time seeing Belgrade – in fact – it would be her first time setting foot in the Yugoslavic region at all. Traveling wasn’t a perk her job afforded.

By the time they landed and she was hustling through the airport with a bag slung over her shoulder and a rolling suitcase dragging behind her, she’d managed to shake off the initial jetlag. She had to – Levi was about ready to leave her behind.

She stood on her toes, straining to keep the shorter man in sight. Burdened only with a compact duffel, he was weaving effortlessly through the crowd.

When she finally managed to catch up, her swinging bag bumped his shoulder. She’d begun to pant. “God Levi. You move like a chipmunk on speed.”

His eyes rolled up towards her. “You can’t keep up because you brought too much shit. I told you to pack light.”

And so he had. But well – what was _light_? It was such a relative term. “Ah, but how do you choose? Off in a foreign country, going to steal launch codes – there’s no telling what might come in handy!”

He hissed, glancing once to either side.“You can’t say that shit in the middle of an airport.”

Right. She lowered her voice to a whisper. “Besides, Moblit and I spent the last few weeks perfecting a few new gadgets. I just _had_ to bring them along.”

As she spoke, they stepped through a set of sliding doors. The sidewalk outside was thick with hurrying bodies. Despite the crowd, she spread her hands, taking a moment to breathe in the crisp air.

“Hello Belgrade!”

A heavy man pushed by her, scowling over his shoulder as he passed.

Levi looked back. “I forgot how much you suck at subtlety.”

“We aren’t all cool, worldly spies. This is my first time here. I can’t help it. I’m excited!” She craned her neck, trying to get a look at the city.

“Let’s go.” As he worked through the crowd, he spoke over his shoulder. “Headquarters ordered a car?”

“I had my team specially handle all of our accommodations.”

The last of the crowd parted to reveal a sleek, shining vehicle that waited ostentatiously at the curb.

Levi stopped short. “Is that…a Ferrari?”

She grinned. “I told Nifa to get us something fast. In case there’s high speed chase or something.”

He looked spent. “One –  you know high speed chases only happen in movies, right? And two – your team got us the _least_ covert car possible.”

She waved dismissively as she popped open the trunk. “This is Europe. Everyone drives nice cars.”

He looked pointedly at a dingy Volkswagen that chose that exact moment to putter past.

Dropping his bag in the trunk, he circled the car in quick strides. “I’m driving.”

Pushing down the bags, she managed to squeeze in her packed duffle. The trunk clicked closed, resisting the overstuffed bags with a slight groan. When she slipped into the passenger seat, Levi was sliding a set of keys from the visor.

She barely had time to buckle in before they were peeling away, tires squealing on the pavement. The engine purred, hardly working to accelerate as they wove around slower traffic. She didn’t miss the way his thumb slid appreciatively over the leather wheel.

“After all that complaining, look who’s having fun with the fast car.”

The corner of his lips twitched. “What’s done is done. Might as well enjoy it now.”

“Says the guy who gets to drive the Ferrari. Next time I’m driving.”

“Where are we booked? We’ll need to take some time to go over the facility’s layout and get our plan in order.”

“Umm..” She hummed as she dug through the backpack at her feet. Moblit had packed it. So there was most definitely a folder with their hotel reservations somewhere inside. At last, her fingers closed over the glossy folder. Pushing a first aid kit, an extra sweater, and a flashlight back down, she managed to pull it from the pack.

Licking her finger, she leafed through the papers inside. “Here. It looks like they booked us in…Metropol Place Belgrade.”

He snorted. “Of course they did.” The engine revved as he circumvented a slow truck.

The hotel pictured was a towering wall of windows. A theatrically lit courtyard sat front and center. “Is it nice?”

“You could say that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Up next: Our favorite spies infiltrate TITAN's research facility! Everything goes smoothly and according to plan - - - or not.


	3. Chapter 3

“You definitely could say that.” Hanji muttered, her voice laced with awe. She craned her neck, ogling the chandelier that hung above them.

The envelope with their reservations dangled loose in her hand. Passing her, he swiped it from her grasp. 

The front desk, like the lobby floor, was sculpted in a light marble. A scarlet carpet paved a path to the desk – and the grinning receptionist who sat dumbly behind it.

Levi tapped the envelope on the counter _._ “We have reservations.”

The man behind the counter, a travesty of far too much hair-gel and cologne, smiled. “Good morning sir.” He looked from Levi, to the papers, and finally, to the glowing screen of his computer. “Yes. You’ve booked one of our executive suites.” He squinted and his fingers clicked over the keyboard. “Two beds and a full bath.”

One room then. Levi glanced over his shoulder. 

Hanji, neck still craned, slowly made her way towards the desk.

He wasn’t exactly thrilled about sharing a room, but he could admit her team had been smart in choosing one room instead of two. On missions such as these, partners were most vulnerable apart, no matter their respective skills. If something was going to go wrong, more often than not, it was when someone was alone. Even parting to sleep was dangerous if a particularly talented enemy was near.

Hanji’s bags were deposited by the counter with a thud.

As she sidled up beside him, he spoke. “We’re sharing a room.”

“Alright.” She blinked, un-phased.

The receptionist cleared his throat. “Your keys.” Two glossy cards were pushed across the counter.

Levi pocketed them both.

The receptionist’s gaze flicked down at the pile of luggage at Hanji’s feet. “You can leave your bags. I’ll send for a bellboy to-”

Hanji’s hands squeezed, knuckles going white over the handles of her luggage.

He could only imagine the priceless gadgets she'd probably managed to stuff inside. When the receptionist moved to call a bellboy over, Levi spoke, his voice sharp. “We’ve got it.”

Turning away from the wide-eyed man, he tugged the bulging duffle from her grasp. As he made a beeline for the elevator, she hurried behind, the wheels of her suitcase squeaking on the marble.

“Thanks Levi! You could tell that one was getting heavy, huh?”

He had, in fact, noticed the giant duffle dragging low in her grasp, but chose not to mention it. “You’re too slow, shitty glasses. I want to make it to our room before noon.”

They stood side by side in the elevator, dings punctuating their rapid rise.

“You think our room’s as nice as the lobby?”

“Probably.”

Of course, it was.

Thick doors swung open to reveal a wide, white carpeted room. Opulent red comforters and drapes gave the whole place a royal look.

Bags forgotten just inside the door, Hanji spun, dropping onto a bed with a laugh. The sound was light, carefree. Arms and legs splayed out, she rubbed the smooth sheets, as if she were a child playing in snow.

“You…have stayed in a hotel before?”

She blew out a breath. “Of course. But not like this!” Stretching her arms, she rolled onto her stomach. “The agency’s research department doesn’t do much traveling. And if we do, we certainly don’t stay in places like _this_.”

He stood a moment, trying to work through the logic of her statement. “ _Your_ team booked us here.”

She grinned. “I think they’re trying to give me the ultimate experience of international espionage.”

Her rubbed at his head. “That’s not…”

It was true, he’d stayed in hotels like this before – usually when he was undercover. But more often than not, the Marriot did the job.

He sighed, dropping her bag at the foot of her bed. “You and your team seriously need to lay off the movies.”

Unzipping his own bag, he began carefully unpacking. Humming lightly, he opened the closet. Empty hangers hung, ready. Pulling out his first shirt, he draped it carefully over the hanger’s wire frame.

“What are you doing?”

He glanced up from the pair of pants he was folding into a drawer. “Putting away my clothes. What does it look like?”

She blinked. “I thought the mission was only supposed to take a day. Maybe two.”

He shrugged, picking up another shirt. “Plenty of time for my clothes to get wrinkled.”

She snorted. “Neat freak, that’s why they supply hotel rooms with an iron.”

“I use it as well.” There was no way to keep his clothes from accumulating _some_ wrinkles when they were packed for travel.

Finally, he pulled out a spare pair of shiny, black shoes.

Hanji pushed her glasses back, staring at the closet that was nearly half-full. “ _How_ did you pack all of that – in _there_?”

Empty, the duffle lay flat on the bed. It appeared even smaller now than it had when full.

“It’s all about proper utilization of space.”

“Forget Moblit’s packing skills. Next time, you’re helping me pack.”

“Not likely.” He swung the closet closed.

* * *

Half an hour later found them surrounded by two laptops, a tablet, and cluttered piles of blueprints and notes. Or more accurately – Hanji was surrounded.

Levi strategically perched on a chair, just outside the chaos she’d made of her bed.

Hair freshly tied up and with glasses perched high on her nose, Hanji leaned forward, her legs crossed before a whirring laptop. She chewed her lip as her fingers clicked over the keyboard. The screen flashed as she drew up folders of data.

He watched, patient, as she scooted back, peering down at the tablet she’d left running behind her.

While he was more of a man of action, often relying on instinct rather than complex plans, he appreciated the need to go into a situation as delicate as this with all the information available and a fully formed plan at the ready. 

For all that she was a spaz – he watched as she jerked towards the blueprints, tugging a pencil from where it had been stuck into her hair – Hanji knew better than anyone how dig up information. And more than that – she was smart enough to know how to apply valuable information to create nearly foolproof strategy. There was a reason Erwin didn’t like to risk her in the field.

Eyes skipping between screens, she chewed the back end of the pencil.

“We have everything we need to get in there and back out?”

She nodded absently, leafing through a folder. “Everything and more.” Tugging the pencil from her teeth, she tapped its rubber end over the papers in her lap. “An agent died providing us with this information. I’d seen him around the department. Didn’t really know him though.” Her eyes flicked up.

He leaned back in his chair. A death in the field wasn’t so unusual. Every agent was well aware of the risk they took when embarking on a mission. But still, every life held value. An agent’s death shouldn’t be without meaning. “Then it’s our job to make sure his life wasn’t lost in vain.”

Straightening, she took a breath. He could see her resolve.

“Here’s the plan.”

* * *

“Tell me again, what part of this shitty plan requires bringing you along?”

She held up a hand, shushing him as the device in her hand whirred. The blue screen flashed – and then she had an image. Hacking into foreign satellites was typically a lengthy process, requiring a concerted effort – that is – if one wasn’t lucky enough to have the H2.0 in their possession. Hanji shook, nearly buzzing with excitement as she hugged the device to her chest. She’d perfected it the night before they left. And so far – it was working like a charm. A completed hack in just under 42 seconds – it was the stuff technological dreams were made of.

Cupping a hand over the screen, she was careful to mute its glow. They were more than a block away from the site – but better safe than sorry.

“I’ve got eyes on the facility grounds. Soon I’ll be able to verify if the intel on the guard’s rounds is correct. If it is, our best chance to sneak in will be in,” she glanced at her watch, “approximately four minutes.”

Arms crossed over his chest, Levi took a peek around the edge of the building. “I can see it from here.”

She blinked down at her screen. “Well I can see it better. Besides – with the money they’ve been accumulating, there’s a good chance TITAN has some technological tricks up their sleeves. _That’s_ why I’m coming with you.”

“I’ve dealt with technologically advanced enemies before. I’m not the dinosaur that you think I am.”

“The fate of more than a few nations depends on us retrieving those codes. If there is the slightest chance that my coming will make us more likely to succeed, then it is my duty to do so.”

“Why don’t you let your eyebrows grow in and become Erwin already. You’re starting to sound like him.”

She snorted, keeping her eyes fixed on the screen. “I think the world only needs one Erwin Smith.”

“Won’t argue with you there.” A pause. “Looks like they’re getting ready to change shifts. Can you see?”

She squinted. Tiny, infrared blobs moved on the square-inch of screen. “Yeah. They’re moving.”

Levi stood. Peering around the corner, he lifted the edge of his jacket, touching a hand to his chest. Hidden just behind the edge of his coat, a sleek, shiny weapon dangled from a shoulder holster. Black straps secured it tight against the side of his chest.

“Do I get a gun?”

He glanced back. “Have you had firearm training?”

“No.”

“Then you don’t get a gun.”

She pouted.

“Just-” He hesitated, checking once more around the building’s edge. “-stick close. It’s time to go.”

One sprint, two hopped fences, and an army crawl beneath a patch of bushes later, they were in.

Hanji panted. Kneeling, she dug a device from her vest pocket. The VFD had been a long project as well. But after months of testing, she was more than confident it would perform as expected. Atop the rectangular device, a green light blinked. “Any video feeds they have running should be disrupted. We can close in without worrying about cameras picking us up.”

Preoccupied with looking over one of the larger bushes, Levi grunted in response.

She tucked the VFD back into her pocket, giving it a pat. “Thank you Hanji.” She muttered in a low voice, mimicking his tone. “ It’s a good thing you spent so much time and effort perfecting all these gadgets.”  She replied, her voice normal. “Why thank you Levi. It’s nice to be appreciated.”

Standing, he tugged at her sleeve. “Shut up and move.”

Jogging over grass, she peered down at the H2.0. So far so good. The closest infrared blobs were still a good distance away.

She’d just turned the corner of the building when he grabbed her arm, jerking her to a stop.

“It’s here.”

Adjusting her glasses, Hanji looked up. And so it was – the drainage pipe she’d thought an ideal (not to mention quiet) means of reaching to roof. Though looking at it now, the pipe seemed small and the wall very smooth.

Levi wrapped his hands around the cylindrical metal and braced a foot against the wall. “I’ll go first – check out the roof. Climb up behind me. Try not to fall on your ass.”

“I won’t,” her eyes trailed up the pipe, which stretched the length of several stories. She swallowed, “fall on my ass.”

Levi was already climbing. With two hands wrapped around the pipe and his feet braced firmly against the wall, he levied himself up the wall in quick hops.

She couldn’t decide if he looked more like a frog or a monkey. But she supposed it didn’t matter. It was working. He scaled the wall at an impressive pace.

Stepping up to the wall, she flexed her hands. “Alright Hanji. You’re not a superspy like the guy up there – but you’ve had basic training. All those push-ups Mike forces you to do at the gym are finally going to pay off.”

Gripping the pipe in a tight grasp, she braced a long leg against the wall. Bending her knees, she pushed herself up. Grimacing, she put one hand over the next. The pipe was surprisingly cool to the touch.

Body bent in an awkward curl (she surmised her lankier form was not as predisposed to climbing as was Levi’s more compact body), she slowly pushed and pulled herself up the wall.

When her fingers at long last curled over the wall’s edge, she grinned, triumphant. By the time she pulled herself over the edge, Levi was crouched over a large, square vent.

He looked up. “This the one?”

Closing her eyes, she consulted the blueprints she’d memorized in the hours before. They’d climbed up the West facing wall. On the Northerly side of the building, there was a door – passcode protected and its inside hall heavily guarded. On the Southern part of the roof, there was a vent – which aired the offices on the second floor. And on the East side – a similar vent. This one, which aired the laboratory and storage rooms.

She opened her eyes. “That’s the one.”

He nodded. Fishing an object from one of his jacket’s inner pockets, he took a step back. He flicked a switch and the rooftop was lit in a red glow. A steady hand directed the laser’s stream around the edges of the vent. The light flicked off, and his other hand whipped out, fingers digging into the grate’s metal teeth, catching it before it could clatter into the vent.

Kneeling at his side, she plucked the cylindrical tool from his grasp.

“An ER7.” She turned the compact laser in her hand. “This model is from _years_ ago. You should have told me – I would have fixed you up with an ER11.”

Scowling, he grabbed it back from her. “I like this one. It’s easy to use – and it gets the job done.” He tucked it firmly back in his jacket.

“ _Oh my god_ , you _are_ a technology dinosaur.”

He pressed a firm hand against her back. “Just get in the vent already, four-eyes.”

Holding her hands up in surrender, she scooted to the edge. Before dropping in, she saluted. “Sure thing, Ackersaurus-rex.”

“Shut- _up_.”

She dropped into darkness. She landed, metal ringing, as she rolled up on her toes. A muted thud indicated that Levi had joined her.

Twisting the ring that adorned her index finger, the passage was lit in a dim light.

Levi crawled up behind her. “That on its lowest setting?”

“Yeah.”

“Good. Now hurry up and crawl. We’ve got – what? Six meters to cover?”

She pressed her palms against the cool metal, doing the calculations in her head. “Five point six.”

A hand pressed against the back of her heel. “Go.”

As they slid though the metal duct, every sound was amplified. Even her breaths seemed inordinately loud. Clamping her lips, she sucked slow breaths through her nose.

As she crawled, she counted the grates that passed beneath them. They were almost there when she saw it. It was a faint flash of light in the dim tunnel.

“Levi.” His name emerged a whispered hiss. “Stop. Don’t move.”

He instantly stilled. “What is it?”

“Something-” She squinted trying to catch sight of it again. “There’s something in the vent. Up ahead.”

“Is it moving?”

“Yes.”

There it was again. A flicker of light up ahead, to the left. Blinking, the light glowed green then red. Her stomach dropped. She knew what it was.

Scrambling back, she struck Levi. As he grunted, hands bracing against her back, she dug frantically into her back pocket. “A bug, Levi. They’ve got a bug.”

A bug was a tiny, specialized drone built for recon – with a twist. Its motion sensors, though limited in scope, were frighteningly accurate. It could be programmed, when its sensor’s detected the slightest movement, to release anything from toxic gas to paralytic darts.

His hands tightened, fingers digging into her back. “Shit.” She felt his breath, sharp, like a dart against her ear. “You’ve got a-”

“Yeah.” Fumbling fingers drew out the remote-like device. She could hear it now, a tinny buzzing as the flashing light drew closer. Drawing the device to her chest, she tapped a frantic code. The buzzing continued. “Don’t move.”

“You’re moving.” His voice was quiet. If it weren’t for the tight grip he had on the back of her shirt, she would have believed him calm.

“Can’t be helped.” _Almost_. Pressing her tongue between her lips, she entered the remaining numerical command.

The blinking light flashed red. A high pitched beep whined, reverberating between the metal walls.

“Hanji-”

“Hold on.” _Enter. Enter. Enter._ Her thumb pressed down, finishing the command.

The light flashed, a solid red. The beep spiked in volume.

She was jerked back. Neck snapping forward, her breath left her.

Silence.

Chest heaving, she stared up at the vent’s metal ceiling. Half beneath her, Levi was propped up. One hand remained at her back, where he’d pulled her away. The other held his loosed gun. Finger on the trigger, the gun was raised, poised to shoot the drone down.

Hanji struggled up.

The gun lowered.

The drone’s flashing lights had been snuffed. No longer airborne, it lay on the vent floor, silent.

Tucking the weapon back into its holster, Levi breathed a curse under his breath. His shoulder was sharp where it pressed into her back.

She ran a hand over the remote. She’d managed to override the bug’s controls and shut it off. “Just in time.” She sighed, leaning back.

Hands pushed her up. “Get off.”

Falling to her knees, she frowned back. “You were the one who pulled me back in the first place.” Tucking the remote back into her pocket, she began to crawl. “Not that I don’t appreciate it. Clearly you were attempting to save my ass from whatever was about to come out of that drone.”

He didn’t reply.

She glanced down as she skirted the miniature drone. She had half a mind to pick it up and bring it back with her. Even as her fingers twitched, ready to grab it up, she dug her knees into the vent and pushed herself forward. As much as she wanted to, there was no practical way to bring it back. She didn’t want to risk the bug malfunctioning and discharging whatever it had in store as they made their escape. The mission at hand had to come first.

“Future reference though – shooting down a bug isn’t a fool proof way to disable it. Half the time it works. But its just as likely to force the bug to release whatever toxic material its got stored inside.”

Levi grunted. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

They passed over a vent. And then – they were there. As she used her H2.0 to scan the room for bugs – or worse, Levi pulled out his dinosaur laser and began working on the vent.

Bracing a hand on the grates, he looked to her.

She nodded. “Its clear.”

Pulling the vent back, he dropped down.

Hanging onto the ledge, she lowered herself down after him.

As she dropped, feet tapping lightly against the floor, Levi stepped up to the safe. About a foot across, the safe appeared to be composed of thick metal. It was embedded in the wall.

Crouching before it, Levi reached for the dial. His fingers had barely brushed the rounded nub, when the thick door swung open. The compact space inside was bare.

Dropping to his knees, Levi reached in; likely checking for a fake bottom. When he pulled back, his expression was grim.

Hanji’s arms dangled limp at her sides. “Its not – here?”

Levi licked his lips. His eyes darted about the small room. Ever so carefully, he reached into his jacket.

Meanwhile, she stepped up to the safe. “How?” 

The information – it had been from a trusted source. There was no way it was false.

An alarm blared.

She twisted. Above the door, red and white lights had begun to flash.

“Oi, shitty glasses. Time to go.” Gun in hand, Levi faced the door.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there, again! The chapter updates have coming pretty fast and furious because I'd been publishing them for a few weeks on tumblr before I started bringing them over here. Unfortunately, this is the last of the chapters that had been previously published. After this weekend (that's when I do my updates on tumblr), the updates here will be coming about once a week.
> 
> Also - you guys are the sweetest, leaving such lovely comments! You sure know how to make a writer feel loved :,D

Alarms blared. Hanji looked from the device in her hand to the glass dome of a camera nestled in the ceiling. The VFD was still transmitting – which meant the above camera shouldn’t be working. Key-word being: _shouldn’t._

“I don’t think they have eyes on us.”

Levi pressed up against the wall. His hand was at the handle of the door. “The fuckers clearly know we’re here.”

“It could have been the bug. Might have been programmed to emit a signal if it was overridden.” The more she thought about it, the more plausible the bug theory became. “ _Damn it_. I should have jammed its signal before overriding it.” She clenched her hands. Her nails dug pink imprints into her palms.

“The codes weren’t here anyway. It’s a waste of time to worry about the past.” Levi said. A swift tug opened the door. After a brief peek into the hall, he pulled it back. “Now, we need to get the hell out of here. If we don’t, we’ll never figure out where the codes were moved to – or if they were ever here.”

Hanji craned her neck, looking to the vent they’d come in through. “If it was the bug that tipped them off, they’ll have sealed off the vents.”

He nodded, as if he’d expected as much. “The front door it is then.”

“...Right.”

He pressed an ear to the door. “Four-eyes, you stay right behind me.” His eyes flicked up, meeting her stare. “Got it? I’ll be pissed if I have to carry your ass out because you got shot or something.”

Despite the rapid thudding behind her ribs, she managed a grin. “Not to worry. I aced last month’s seminar on dodging shitloads of speeding bullets.”

He gave her a flat stare.

She cleared her throat. “Ah – a joke. I’ll stick close.”

 “Let’s go.” Weapon raised in a two-handed grasp, he slipped through the door.

After only a moment’s hesitation, she followed. Pressing her glasses higher on the bridge of her nose, she glanced from side to side. For now, the hall was empty.

The alarm’s grating wail masked their footfalls as they hurried through the corridor. Clean white linoleum was flanked by even whiter walls. Beneath florescent lighting, the entire scene was rather blinding. Squinting, she hustled to keep up with Levi’s rapid steps. For being a shorter guy, he moved awfully fast.

Ahead, the hall curved. As they neared the corner, Levi’s steps slowed. Holding a staying hand, he leaned around the edge.

He jerked back.

Shouts immediately followed.

She braced a hand against the wall. “Did they see-”

Spinning on his heel, he whipped around the corner and raised his gun. One. Two. Three. Four cracks echoed through the narrow hall.

Her ears rang in the following silence. She peered around the wall’s edge. Four figures slumped; they spread like rag dolls over the white floor. She tilted her head. Mesmerized, she watched the tiles turn red.

“Hey!”

The shout came from behind.

She turned. Two men stood at the end of the hall. Firearms raised in their direction.

“Shit.” Levi’s voice was clipped.

A hand clamped over her wrist. She was tugged back as something whistled past her ear. And then she was pushed. She stumbled into the adjoining hall, and Levi took several quick steps back. Head tilted forward, he narrowed his eyes. He popped off two rapid shots.

The sharp squeak of rubber on linoleum alerted her to the presence of another. She turned – and found herself staring at the end of a polished barrel. Hanji didn’t think. She slapped a palm over the gun’s cool metal, knocking it aside. As the weapon discharged a bullet into the wall, she knocked her other hand against his arm. The gun clattered to the ground.

And then Levi was there. A strike to the throat had her assailant gasping for air. In a single smooth motion, he grabbed hold of the man’s head and shoulder. Pivoting, he thrust his head into the nearest wall.

The man slumped. A sizable hole was left in his wake.

Glancing down the hall, Levi drew a spare clip from his coat. “I thought you weren’t field trained.” He didn’t look up as he snapped the magazine into place.

She wasn’t. “Basic training, Levi. Even we in Research have to do it.” She added as an afterthought, “Six months of krav maga probably helped.” Another one of Mike’s winning suggestions.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the crack of gunfire. Flinching, she ducked low. The wall above was instantly sprayed with bullets. Drywall fell like snow.

Several rapid cracks answered the initial fire. And then Levi’s hand reprised its position around her wrist. With a tug, she was pulled through the hall.

They turned a corner a split second before gunfire resumed behind them.

She took a step forward before being yanked back. A second later, she realized she hadn’t been yanked. Rather, the person holding her wrist had simply ceased moving. Thrusting his shoulder around the corner, Levi fired off a round of shots.

And then he was in motion, taking rapid steps down the empty hall.

Hurrying at his side to avoid being yanked along, Hanji glanced behind them. So far no one was following.

“Did you get them all?”

 “Yes.” His answer bore no hesitation.

She glanced back once again, just to be sure. “I didn’t know anyone could shoot like that.”

Rather than reply, he tugged at her wrist, urging her to move faster.

They turned a corner to a new round of shouts.

Stepping in front of her, he fired a shot for every raised voice. His feet were spaced evenly apart and his shoulders set low and even; their steady rise and fall were evidence of his smooth, unhurried breath.

When an enemy managed to withstand a shot to the shoulder, Levi took three steps and met the charging man mid-stride. With a single strike the man was disarmed. Without relinquishing his hold on the man’s arm, Levi twisted, kicking out the agent’s legs. The hall echoed with a sickening crack. The man slumped in a dead faint. His arm dangled, bent at an impossible angle.

Hanji couldn’t look away.

If this was how Agent Levi Ackerman performed when ambushed…She blinked. Her eyes roved over the hallway littered with bodies. It was no wonder he’d been sent on more high ranking missions than anyone else in the department. In the last five minutes alone, he’d proved that his reputation was more than deserved.

Her mind jumped, thinking of the intelligence gathering missions she’d previously thought too difficult to risk the average agent. She looked to the body limp at his feet. A mission too difficult for the average agent would be nothing to him. Her breath caught in her throat as she imagined it – _mountains_ of data; information on not only the patterns of rogue organizations, but on their technology. An excited shiver ran up her spine.

Caught up in this train of thought, she breathed, “Levi Ackerman. Make me the happiest woman on earth – gather intelligence for me.”

Levi, who had taken a moment to wipe his hand on the back of the man’s uniform, looked up. “Don’t make it sound like a fucking proposal. And no.” He stood. “I save my energy for important shit.”

“Knowledge _is_ important!”

“You know what else’s important? Finding out why the hell the codes weren’t where they were supposed to be.”

She lifted her head. Right. The codes. “You have a point.” She crossed the hall in quick strides. “But don’t think I won’t bring it up again once all of this is done.”

A tug to the back of her shirt jerked her back. She landed on her rear as a volley of bullets splattered the closest wall.

Several responding shots cracked over her head.

“Would you stop trying to get yourself killed?”

With multiple enemies firing weapons in her direction, she hardly needed to try. She was ready to say as much – but he was already moving.

Holding his gun at the ready, he stalked down the hall. “Shitty-glasses, hurry up.”

Huffing, she pushed herself to her feet. Another round of gunfire spurred her to hurry forward. By the time she caught up, the next hall was littered with fallen TITAN agents. And beyond it – was the door.

They’d nearly reached it when shouts sounded at their backs. She rushed forward, pushing at the door as Levi turned, facing the approaching men and women. Cool air struck her face as a volley of gunfire rang out. She was through the door – and then a hand was at her back, urging her to move faster.

Footsteps slapped against pavement as they ran a twisting path between nearby buildings. When they finally emerged from between two buildings and found the night silent, save for their panting breaths, Levi flagged the first cab they saw meandering down the road.

Within the hour, they were back.

The door swung closed, slamming with an odd finality. The room’s air seemed thick, heavy.

Levi crossed the room, shedding his coat. Sliding open a bedside drawer, he lifted a cell phone. It had been carefully placed, along with Levi’s (fake) passport and agency issued credit card, in the drawer just before they left.

Now he paced the room, phone pressed firmly against his ear.

“Connect me to Erwin Smith. Immediately.”

Listening, Hanji perched on the edge of the bed.

Levi rubbed a hand over his forehead. “Erwin. The codes weren’t there.” A pause. “Yes. Yeah, we made it out – obviously.” He paced a quick circle. “Yeah, have them go over everything again. Something was missed.”

“Levi, have him send all of the current intelligence to me as well.” She gripped the edge of the sheets. If something had been missed, she’d find it. She had to.

Levi didn’t reply. Blinking, he nodded as something was said over the phone.

Pushing herself to her feet, she leaned in towards the phone. “Erwin! Send me everything!”

Levi jerked back. Scowling, he rubbed at his ear. “Damn it! Are you trying to make me go deaf?”

Turning away, he continued listening.

When he didn’t say anything further, she sucked in another breath, ready to try again.

Before she could open her mouth, his hand pressed over her lips. “He heard you the first time. The intel’s already sent.”

In less than a second she’d dug her laptop out from under the bed. By the time the next second had passed, she was perched on the bed, laptop open in front of her. With a couple clicks she retrieved the files. The screen flickered as they downloaded.

Across the room, Levi stood at the window. “Yeah, and I want a full background check on-” He looked over his shoulder. “Hanji, who was the agent responsible for the initial intelligence regarding the codes? The one that died.”

She looked up. “Agent Marco Bott?”

Levi nodded. “Have someone do a full inquiry concerning Agent Marco Bott.” Though he spoke to Erwin, his eyes were on her. “We have to consider the possibility that Agent Bott may have purposefully fed us falsified information.”

Pressing her hands beneath her chin, she dipped her head in thought. The possibility that they’d been given false information wasn’t out of the question – but still, something in her gut rebelled against the idea that Marco Bott had been some sort of double agent. She didn’t know him very well, but she’d seen him around – and from the way his comrades had talked about him, he’d seemed a stalwart agent. Besides – would one so young even have time to foster connections with a terrorist organization such as this? Pressing a hand to her mouth, she stared at the screen. “He was just a kid.”

At eighteen, Marco had entered the field at the youngest age the agency allowed. She could still vividly picture the photographs she’d reviewed from when he’d been found. His body had been dumped and his skin was badly decomposed. But even she’d recognized him.

No. She didn’t want to believe that the smiling, freckled teen had purposefully misled them. But she would thoroughly investigate both Marco Bott and all available intelligence – old and new – until she found the truth, whatever it may be.

“You’re gonna look into him?” Levi watched her. The phone had been returned to its place in the drawer.

She pulled the laptop into her lap. “Yes. And all of the intelligence as well. I’m going to find out what the hell we missed.”

“Erwin has people looking over it too.”

She didn’t look up from the screen. “I’ll find it first.”

He didn’t argue.

An hour passed. And then another. Images danced, reflecting in her glasses as she poured through file after file of information. From what she could tell, Marco Bott was clean. She’d scoured his history, and also read the reports of Jean Kirstein, Annie Leonhart, Bertolt Hoover, and Reiner Braun – the agents who’d most recently worked with him. Nothing mentioned gave the slightest hint that he had been any kind of double agent. Part of her was relieved. She didn’t want to think that there could be someone within their ranks working against them. But the problem remained – where were the codes? There was still some piece of information that they were missing.

The third hour passed and she remained, bent before the computer.

As the fourth hour neared, she was vaguely aware of a knock upon the door. A bed squeaked and soft footfalls crossed the floor. The door opened and closed. Blinking at the screen, she wrinkled her nose. It smelled like-

“Food.”

She looked down at the plate being held beneath her nose. Thick slabs of meat were arranged next to steamed vegetables and flat bread.

She pushed it back. “I’ll eat later. I’m making progress here.”

When she looked down, it was once more beneath her nose.

“Back in your research lab you can stick to your shitty eating schedule. Out here, you have to eat regularly. It’ll keep you sharp.”

Taking the plate from him, she set it on the bed. “Fine. I’ll eat while I work.” If nothing else, at least it would stop him from blocking the screen when he dangled it in front of her.

Grabbing his own plate, he took a seat at the room’s small table.

Absently chewing on a piece of meat (Perhaps it was lamb? Or goat?), she continued to scroll through data.

She’d worked her way through the meat and was just starting on the veggies when she found it. Her fingers froze, hovering over the keyboard.

From where he sat across the room, Levi sat up. “What?”

Her eyes flicked back and forth, rapidly scanning the page. “It’s a regular observation – by an agent who was watching them remotely. After the whole Marco Bott situation, we had the remaining agents watching from a distance-”

“Shitty-glasses,” he interrupted, “get to the point.”

“Right. It was a regular observation – didn’t raise any flags. Yesterday there was a delivery. A standard delivery vehicle arrived and a uniformed man took a package into the facility.” Hanji leaned forward, peering down at the satellite images before her. “You wouldn’t notice it unless you were looking, but there-”

Levi crossed the room. Bracing himself against the bed, he peered over her shoulder.

She jabbed a finger at the screen, indicating the clipboard that swung against his side. “It’s right there. You see the envelope? It wasn’t on the clipboard when he arrived.” She scrolled back to an image showing his initial arrival.

His breath hissed between his teeth. It tickled her neck. “They’re moving it.”

She nodded. Reaching for her plate, she bit off a large chunk of bread. Chewing, she spoke with her mouth half-full. “You know why, right?”

Levi frowned, pushing back. “You think they cracked it.”

She nodded solemnly, swallowing the last of the bread. “It explains why they’d move it so soon.” She closed the computer. “There’s going to be a trade off in the next few days.”

“Why bother with a trade off? If the codes are decrypted, it would be in their best interest to move it to wherever the missiles are being stored as quickly as possible.”

“Not necessarily.” She popped a vegetable in her mouth. “It’s in their best interest for us _not_ to know where they are keeping all those rockets. So they remove the codes from this facility, disappear for a few days, pass them off to a different set of TITAN agents, and those agents deliver them to the location of the missiles. Yes, it will take longer for them to achieve their ultimate goal, but if they can lose our tail they will achieve their end goal much easier. That’s the logic TITAN has always employed. I’m positive that is what’s happening here.”

Crossing his arms, Levi perched at the edge of his bed. He glanced at the clock.

3:55 a.m. was displayed in red, glowing numerals. “So you’re telling me I need to wake Erwin up.”

“Tell him he needs to set up a search spanning Serbia as well as all bordering nations. Have my team run facial recognition on Mr. Delivery Guy. And then, circulate his face. Have satellites looking for him as well as agents on the ground. We need to find him and whoever he’s working with before the trade-off occurs.”

Levi stood, reaching for the drawer. “Yeah, I’ll let you tell him all that.” He tossed her the phone.

She caught it in one hand.

As it rang, she slowly cleared her bed. While studying the intel she hadn’t felt the slightest bit tired. But now, with food in her stomach and the mystery solved, her eyelids dragged low.

When Erwin’s groggy voice crackled over the phone, she smiled, falling back in the bed. “Rise and shine sleepy head! I figured it out. So get up and out of bed! I’ve got some work for you to do…”


	5. Chapter 5

When his eyes opened, the room was still dark. Beyond gaudy curtains, the sky was gradually shifting from colorless grey to deep violet. Between buildings, he could see where the horizon had begun to tinge pink.

Rolling on his back, he stared at the ceiling. He couldn’t have slept more than two hours – three tops. Despite his late turn-in the night before, his mind and body were wide awake.

Throwing off the covers, he rolled out of bed. Jet lag was a bitch. And a fickle bitch, at that. The room’s other occupant clearly wasn’t having the same trouble as he. Bundled in the bed’s lavish blankets like a moth in a cocoon, her easy snores filled the room.

Passing her bed, he paused.

Her glasses lay discarded on the nightstand beside the bed. Without them, her face seemed more innocent – relaxed. Though that was likely the product of sleep more than anything else. The creases that he’d noticed liked to worm their way between her brows smoothed out in slumber. He imagined sleep was one of the only ways to get her big ass brain to turn off.

A sharp snore, and then a cough – probably choking on her own spit – and she rolled, dragging the thick sheets with her. Rubbing her face against the pillow, she murmured against the silken sheet. “Moblit – get my drawing board…have an improvement for the ER11.” She snorted. “It’s…essential.” Burrowing into the bed, she drew the sheets up around her ears, and went still.

Levi could only stare. The crazy woman’s giant ass brain never turned off. Ever. Shaking his head he left her in favor of a shower.

The steaming shower did wonders for his jet lag. He was still tired, but at least the haze of sleep had left his brain. Once he was dressed, he actually felt human. Standing before the mirror, he worked a towel over his head, drying his hair as he considered their next step.

Hanji had given Erwin sufficient time to get his shit together. Really, even on his worst days Erwin could mobilize an army in under twelve hours. The extra agents Hanji requested to scope out the area were surely en route, if they weren’t there already.

Until someone got eyes on their target – the delivery guy – there wasn’t much he and four-eyes _could_ do. He didn’t particularly like sitting around and waiting, but there was nothing to be done about it. Straightening his cuffs, he glanced in the mirror, giving his reflection a once over before hanging his towel.

With the bathroom fan turned off, a sharp buzzing became immediately apparent.

Buried beneath blankets, Hanji groaned, rolling to the opposite side of the bed as a drawer in the bedside table rattled.

The phone.

He wasn’t sure why he jumped forward, hurrying over the soft carpet to dig the vibrating phone from the drawer – after all, shitty glasses was going to have to get up eventually.

 When the vibrations silenced against his palm, Hanji sighed, sinking back into the sheets.

“Tch.” He turned, lifting the phone to his ear. He spoke, a step above a whisper, “Yeah?”

There was a slight delay.

“Levi.” Erwin’s deep voice cracked over the phone. “I’m calling to inform you and Hanji that everything’s been set up as she requested.”

“Alright. Good.” Stepping away from the bed, he stood at the window. The sun had begun to creep over the horizon. Levi squinted against the bright rays that filtered over the landscape.

“I’ve arranged for ten agents to survey the immediate Serbian region. I need you to divide them up – organize the search.”

“What?” Taking a partner on the mission was one thing. Now caterpillar-brows wanted him to organize _ten more_ agents for a search? He frowned, hissing into the phone. “I’m not babysitting anyone else.”

Erwin’s reply was smooth. “And you won’t have to. A few are a bit on the young side, but they are all fully trained agents – some, the top of their class. Besides, you and Hanji are central to this mission. I’d like you to personally debrief them. Give them any and all information that will help them find this guy.”

Closing his eyes, he breathed through his nose. “When and where do I meet them?”

“They’re in a black, unmarked van. It’s currently parked two blocks from your hotel.”

Levi rolled his eyes to the ceiling. So much for forewarning.

“You’ll do it?”

“Yeah.” He replied, his voice clipped. “Just make sure you’re still coordinating the search of the surrounding countries. There’s a chance the guy’s already left Serbia.”

“Will do.”

Drawing the phone from his ear, he hung up before Erwin could order him to do anything else. He dropped the cell in his pants pocket and took a moment to watch rays of light dance across the windows of the cars that had already begun to circulate the city.

He might as well let four-eyes sleep. Only one of them was really needed to debrief the agents. Besides, she was enough of a hazard when well rested – he didn’t want to imagine how she would fare in the field if she was sleep deprived.

Scrawling a quick note explaining where he’d gone, he pocketed his room key. He quietly opened the door and slipped into the bright hall, leaving her behind, snoring in bed. The door clicked closed and he strolled down the hall, oblivious to the shadow that had fallen over the hotel room sill.

* * *

The van was exactly where Erwin said it would be. Hands in his pockets, Levi glanced once over his shoulder before stepping up to its double back doors. He raised a hand to knock, but the door swung open before his fist could make contact.

A grinning, wide eyed girl was on its other side. “Agent Ackerman!” Releasing the door, her hand flew up in a messy salute. “Agent Sasha Blouse, reporting for duty! Sir!”

He narrowed his eyes. “Get back in the van, agent Blouse.” He checked over his shoulder once more. Pulling himself into the vehicle, he muttered under his breath. “We don’t even have a fucking salute.”

He took a moment to look over the group of agents. He only had to a look their big, round eyes and the eager grins that about half of them were sporting to know: they were a bunch of god-damn rookies. He rolled his eyes to the ceiling, mentally cursing Erwin with every expletive in his vocabulary - some were quite creative.

Crossing his arms over his chest, he stared them down. “Give me your names, the length of time since you passed your Field Readiness Exam, and a full list of the ranked missions you’ve completed.”

For a long second, there was silence.

It was the girl to his right that spoke first. With her arms crossed she matched his stance. “Mikassa Ackerman, sir.” She hesitated, “No relation – I think.”

His eyes flicked over her pinched, sullen expression. “I hope not.”

She narrowed her eyes.

The blond kid beside her tapped an elbow against her side, prompting her to continue. “I passed my FRE in the last fall block. Nearly a year ago, today. I’ve completed three Code Greens and two Code Yellow missions.”

Levi tapped a finger against his forearm. It wasn’t a terrible track record, three local threats and two mid-level domestic crises. But a year wasn’t long in the field.

Frowning he looked to the blond beside her. “And you?”

He straightened, folding his arms behind his back. “Armin Arlert, sir!”

Levi winced. “Are you all so fucking loud?”

The kid paled. He stuttered, “S-sorry, sir. Uh – I passed the FRE in the last fall block as well. I’ve, um,” he looked to the ground, “completed one Code Green mission.”

Levi chose not to remark on the dismal record. He turned to the next agent.

This one had brown hair and wide, excited eyes. As he spoke, he straightened, puffing out his chest. “Eren Jaeger, sir. I passed a year ago too. I’ve done three Code Greens and one Code Yellow.”

When Levi blinked, unimpressed, the kid seemed to deflate.

And then the spastic brown-haired girl was speaking. “Sasha Blouse, sir! I too, passed a year ago. I’ve gone on two Code Green missions.”

The short guy beside her lifted his head. “Connie Springer, sir! I-” He grinned sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. “Ditto to everything else that Sasha said. We passed at the same time and were on the same missions.”

They shared a grin.

“Next.”

A taller agent with a long face and light brown hair spoke up. “Jean Kirstein, sir. I passed the FRE one year ago. I’ve been on three Code Greens and one Yellow.”

Next, a blonde woman recited her name and rank. She spoke, staring straight ahead, “Annie Leonhart. I successfully completed the FRE two years ago. I’ve taken part in three Code Greens, two Code Yellows, and one Code Purple.”

The dark-haired agent – Mikassa – frowned, shooting the blonde woman a sideways glare.

The broad shouldered agent beside her spoke next. “Reiner Braun.” He cleared his throat. “I passed two years ago as well. I’ve completed two Code Greens, and two Code Yellows.”

The last agent, a tall, dark haired young man was quick to speak. “Bertolt Hoover – sir.” He swallowed. “I passed the FRE two years ago. I’ve been on three Code Green missions, and one Code Yellow.”

Closing his eyes, Levi pinched the bridge of his nose in an attempt to ward away the headache that had begun to settle in between his eyes. As per agency rules, everyone in front of him had to be at least eighteen – if they passed nearly a year ago, most were probably nineteen or older. But in the field, age held no real meaning. Experience was everything. Erwin might as well have saddled him with a bunch of children.

Clearing his throat, the brown haired kid – Eren? Spoke up. “Agent Ackerman?”

Dropping his hand, Levi interrupted. “Just call me Levi.”

“Uh – alright. Agent Levi,” he hesitated, looking around the cramped van for support. “Is it true that you’ve completed twenty Code Reds on your own?”

Of course it wasn’t fucking true. Levi stared him down. “And how is that information relevant to the mission you’re currently tasked with?”

Silence.

“Make sure any further questions only pertain to the task at hand.” Speaking of – Levi frowned, counting the heads in the van. “Where is the tenth agent?”

The door swung open behind him.

“Sorry. I had to find some coffee.” Stooping to fit into the enclosed space, Mike Zacharius climbed into the van. When Mike’s eyes fell on him, he grinned. “Levi! Long time no see!”

Settling into a chair, he sniffed. “Is there a reason you smell particularly stressed this fine morning?”

Levi took a step back. “Don’t fucking smell people. It’s weird.” He looked from Mike to the rookie agents around them. “I should have known you’d be part of this shit show.”

Throwing his head back, Mike laughed. Enclosed in the van, the sound was booming. “You didn’t think you were going to have to supervise the newbies alone, did you?”

Levi’s shoulders loosened. That was exactly what he’d thought. With Mike here, at least he’d be able to focus on the mission at hand.

Mike took a long sip of his drink. “I’m the lead agent supervising the search efforts. Erwin just wants you to give us a bit of direction. Make sure we know everything there is to know.”

Levi nodded, he could do that much. “You have the satellite image of the man we’re after?”

Spinning in this chair, Mike tapped at a keyboard nestled in the side of the van. A screen above them zapped to life. On it, the image of the delivery man was displayed in high definition. They’d managed to zoom in on his face. Beneath his hat, his hair looked to be dirty blond. Wide set eyes sat above a hooked nose. Thin lips barely covered square teeth.

Connie tilted his head. “Not much of a looker, is he?”

Beside him, Sasha snickered. “He looks like a decomposing potato.”

Connie snapped his fingers. “ _He does!_ ”

Mike glanced over his shoulder. “Make sure you guys have thoroughly memorized his face. You’ll have pictures for reference, but you might only get a glimpse of him. You need to be able to recognize him on sight.”

Quieting, the younger agents nodded.

Levi leaned back against the door. “And as for information, we don’t know a whole lot more than you. But if this guy is still in the country, he’ll be lying low. He’s not going to be easy to locate.”

“Right,” Mike emphasized, jabbing a finger at the screen, “So it’s important to know. That. Face.”

“How are you planning to conduct the search?”

“Research ran facial recognition on the guy. So we’ve got a few hot spots to focus our search.”

Hanji’s team had been successful, then.

Mike continued. “I’m going to split these guys into groups of two in order to check out all of the areas as quickly as possible.” Closing his eyes, he rattled off names. “Let’s see. Mikassa and Eren. Armin and Jean. Sasha and Connie.”

There was the slap of a high five.

“Bertolt and Reiner. And then Annie – I guess that leaves you with me.” Leaning back in his chair, Mike smiled.

Annie gave a curt nod. “Yes sir.”

Connie hissed. “Lucky! Agent Mike is second only to Agent Levi when it comes to skill in the field.”

Expressionless, Annie acknowledged Connie’s excitement with a slight nod.

However, Mike sat up, an affronted frown on his face. “Second best! Who told you that?”

The younger agents were at once interested in their feet.

Levi smirked. “Just the truth, Zacharius.”

Mike sniffed. “The truth my ass.” He shut down the screen and the delivery man’s face disappeared. Mike looked up. “By the way, isn’t Zoë on this one with you?”

The use of her first name startled him. Mostly because didn’t know of many people who called her by it. He was aware that Mike and Hanji knew each other, but had no idea they were close.

He nodded in the direction of the hotel. “The lazy ass is still asleep in the room.”

There was a clatter. Hastening to bend, Annie picked up the pen she’d dropped to the floor.

“Hey, don’t get butterfingers on me now, agent Leonhart.” Mike said, offering her a smile.

Slipping the pen in her pocket, Annie folded her hands in front of her. “Of course not, sir.”

Levi squinted, trying to get a look at her in the dim van. Did she seem pale? Sure, Mike was known for his skill in the field, but despite his height, he was by no means an intimidating man. But new recruits were a strange breed. They got worked up about the weirdest things.

* * *

It was a chill breeze that woke her. Blinking, it took a moment to orient herself in the bright, blurry room. Peaking over distant neighborhoods, the sun’s rays poured in, warming her bed.

Stretching her arms up and her legs down to the end of the bed, her back gave a satisfying pop. With a sigh, she reached for her glasses. When the room came into focus, she noticed a note beside the bed. It was covered in neat scrawl.

_Erwin needed me to debrief the agents he called out here. If you’re still asleep when I get back, I’m changing your name from shitty-glasses to lazy ass._

Snorting, she folded the note and dropped it on the bed. She imagined not many appreciated Levi’s humor. It was dry, oftentimes crass. But all things considered, she didn’t think it was half bad. Perhaps it was an acquired taste.

Crawling out from a mound of blankets, she tugged her shirt down as she stood. Across the room, curtains fluttered in the breeze. She frowned. No wonder it was cold. Levi had left the window wide open.

She grumbled as she trudged across the room. The neat freak had probably thought the room felt stuffy or something. Rubbing a hand along her arm, she tugged it closed. The room might be aired out, but it was also freezing!

Folding her arms across her chest, she stared out at the city. She wondered if Delivery Guy was even still here. Probably not. There was a chance he was still in the country, but he’d likely put at least a few cities between he and they.

Leaning forward, her breath fogged the glass. “Where are you?”

Looking down, she watched people scurry about below. She pressed a hand to the cool glass. She looked up as a flash of movement reflected in the window.

She dropped. An arm swung over her head. Steel glinted, catching the sun.

A hand grabbed at her shoulder. Hanji rolled instinctively kicking out. Her bare foot connected with something soft. A gasp. Braced against the ground, she backpedaled, gaining a few feet.

Beside the window, a woman was bent. In one hand, she held a dagger. The other braced her side. She looked up. Red hair parted to reveal large, green eyes and pouting lips. They pulled back in a snarl.

Hanji scrambled back a few more feet. In doing so, her hand pressed over something flat and hard. Her laptop. It had been removed from its hiding place beneath the bed. Various papers were spread around it.

Pushing her research protectively back, she braced a leg on the carpet, preparing to stand. “What, exactly, is TITAN hoping to find in my research?”

It was purely speculation. But who else would be breaking into their hotel room in the middle of Serbia?

The woman’s lips curved up. “It’s not my job to ask questions. I simply pick up the goods and deliver them to the boss.”

She had a distinct accent, but Hanji was having a difficult time placing it. Maybe Austrian? TITAN recruited from all over the world; truly, the woman could be from anywhere.

“And who might your boss be?”

The red-head straightened, no longer holding her side. “Oh sad, scruffy scientist, why would I tell you that?”

On her feet, Hanji nudged the laptop back beneath the bed. “Hey now, there’s no need to make things personal. And I just got out of bed. I doubt you-” She waved a hand in the woman’s general direction, “wake up looking like that.”

The woman didn’t reply. Her eyes had followed the movement of Hanji’s foot. “Don’t attempt to hide it from me.”

Her hands balled into fists. “You can’t have it.”

The woman chuckled. It was mocking, cruel. “Please. You can’t keep it from me. Let alone, survive this.”

She moved.

Hanji leapt.

Diving over the bed, she rolled across it. She hit the ground with a thud. Her backpack lay on the floor beside her. Her thoughts were frantic. She had a phone. Somewhere inside, Moblit had packed her a phone.

Elbow deep in the backpack, she dug, throwing out clothes, food, and first aid equipment. When she felt the woman’s measured steps on the carpet she kicked out. But the same move didn’t work twice.

 A hand closed over her ankle. Its grip was like a vice. Yanked back, Hanji clung to the backpack, dragging it with her. The friction from the carpet burned her stomach.

At the center of a room, she jerked to a stop. A rough boot flipped her on her back. No longer smiling, the red-haired woman stared down at her, all business. Bending over her, she adjusted her grip on the dagger.

Hanji’s hand closed over a cool, rectangular block. The phone.

As the woman’s free hand reached for her in an attempt to keep her still, a rush of energy coursed through her. She was not going to die in this hotel room. And more importantly, she was notgoing to let some random TITAN agent make off with her research.

Kicking out at the woman’s shins, she surged up from the floor. With a banshee-like shout she jumped at her, free hand grabbing for the wrist with the knife. As she threw the weight of her body against her attacker, they fell to the floor, a tangle of limbs.

She dug her thumb into the woman’s wrist and watched the knife slip between her fingers. But even as the knife slid, kicked by a stray foot across the carpet, the woman rolled. A well-aimed punch to the gut left Hanji gasping for breath.

The woman moved for the dagger as Hanji crawled in the opposite direction, the cell phone ready in her hand. Her mind ran on repeat; the same two thoughts played again and again through her head. _Call Levi._ _Get to your duffle._

He was on speed-dial, thank god. Fingers shaking, she pressed and held down 1.

The speaker emitted a long, toneless ring. And then another. And another.

Stretching her arm, she reached for the duffle. She’d remembered – before she left, Moblit had hidden a Taser in a compartment at the bottom of the bag – just in case.

Three things happened at once.

Her fingers closed over the bag’s thick strap.

Levi’s voice sounded over the phone, annoyed. “Damn four-eyes, took you long enough to get up.”

An arm wrapped around her, dragging her up and back. Metal glinted once more. Throwing her hands up, she grabbed the woman’s wrist before the knife could press any closer. All the while, the crook of the woman’s arm squeezed, digging into her neck.

From the floor, Levi’s voice crackled over the phone, impatient. “Oi, shitty glasses.”

One hand still clung to the woman’s wrist, with her other, she managed to claw some space between her neck and the woman’s arm. She took a strangled gasp.

“Hanji?” All trace of annoyance gone, Levi spoke, sharp and alert.

Shoving her hand in the space between the woman’s arm and her neck, she sucked in a deep breath. Her voice cracked, scraping from her throat. “ _Levi!_ ” She coughed, struggling against the woman who pulled back. “ _Help_ ” became another cough. Driving the woman’s arm back, she gasped, “ _Hotel room!_ ”

To Hanji’s surprise, the woman changed directions, suddenly pushing her forward. In the next second, her motive became clear. The woman stomped down. The phone crunched beneath her boot.

The hand holding back the knife hand begun to shake. Trapped between the agent and her dagger, Hanji could only think that she should have done more push-ups.

The woman panted at her ear. “Now, where were we?”


	6. Chapter 6

“Alright. Let’s get you guys your coordinates.” Mike hunched forward, squinting down at the screen. The keyboard set in the van’s wall was compact. At six-foot-five, Mike looked like a giant bent before it.

As Mike listed off coordinates, Levi decided he might as well go. There was nothing more that he could tell them. However, before he could leave, the blond one – Armin – waved, standing on his toes in order to get Levi’s attention.

“Agent Levi Ackerman – sir! Do you think I might have a chance to talk to Head Research Scientist Hanji Zoe once the objective is achieved?” He blushed, looking at his toes. “I’ve been interested in her department for a while now.”

“Why haven’t you approached her about this at headquarters?”

His flush darkened. Though partially hidden beneath his hair, the tips of his ears were obviously pink. “I wasn’t sure how to approach her. She’s the _head research scientist_. I couldn’t just go up and talk to her.”

This kid was seriously overanalyzing things. Levi’s frown deepened as he spoke. “You’re overestimating-”

His pocket vibrated.

Digging the phone out, he stared a moment at the screen. “Speak of the devil.”

Armin perked.

Before answering, Levi gave him a stare. “You can’t talk to her about the research department while we’re out in the field. Deal with it on your own time.”

Deliberately turning away from the dejected agent, he lifted the phone to his ear. “Damn four-eyes, took you long enough to get up.”

Mike’s booming voice made it difficult to hear. Pressing a hand to his ear, he leaned into the phone. There was a thud. Had she managed to drop her phone?

He waited long moment. Still, she didn’t speak. _Damn it_ , he didn’t have time for her to be messing around.

“Oi, shitty glasses.”

There was a thump and then, a sharp noise, like the sudden intake of air.

The hairs on the back of his neck prickled, standing on end. Something was wrong.

“Hanji?” Pressing the phone flat against his ear, he raised a hand in an attempt to quiet the van.

A gasp. Her voice sounded distant, tinny. _“Levi!”_

The way she said his name, breathy and choked, made something in his chest jump. She wasn’t supposed to sound like that.

 A cough. And then, _“Hotel room!”_

The line cut out. But he was already moving. Yanking at the door, he jumped into near blinding light.

“Levi?” A step behind him, Mike dropped from the van, ready for action.

“The room.” With no further explanation, he took off, sprinting back the way he’d come. The slap of heavy footfalls sounded behind him.

Mike’s booming voice called back, commanding the younger agents. “Stay put!”

He passed a stall selling coffee. Skipping to the side, he cut through the line that waited before it. Feet pounding the pavement, his hand rose to his side, habitually feeling for the weapon hidden beneath his jacket.

His mind worked, going over, analyzing, everything he’d heard. There was a struggle taking place. That much was clear.

He clenched his jaw. _Stupid._ It had taken him far too long to recognize the noises for what they were. Hanji was in danger and he’d wasted nearly half a minute just waiting for her to speak. _Damn it._ He’d fucked up. And the world of espionage was rarely forgiving. He would know.

He crossed the street, holding his palm out to traffic. Horns blared as he dodged between cars.

It had to be a TITAN agent up there. But how the hell had TITAN figured out their location? Unless they’d been followed after their botched retrieval mission…but no, he was sure they’d had no tail.

In the lobby his steps slowed, hesitating. The wide doors of the elevator waited before him. An emergency staircase sat to the right.

Hurrying to the elevator, the button lit as he punched it repeatedly with his thumb.

Rubber soles squeaked on marble. Mike slid to a stop beside him.

From behind his position at the front desk, the concierge stared at the two panting men. His expression was concerned.

Twisting, Mike looked around them. “No stairs?”

“We’re on the 21st floor. The elevator will be faster.” Even as he spoke, his foot tapped against the ground. If a trained TITAN agent was up there right now…He didn’t finish the thought. Instead, he pressed the button again as if that would magically make the elevator drop faster.

A ding.

The elevator doors slid open, painfully slow.

Once inside, Levi slapped the key for the 21st floor.

Mike readied a gun as the elevator rose. “What’s going on up there?”

“Some kind of trouble.”

“Is Zoe alright?”

“Don’t know.” Eyes fastened on the space above the door, he watched numbers shift, counting the floors.

When the elevator finally stopped, Levi hopped sideways through the opening doors.

Garish wallpaper flashed in his peripherals as he ran for the room. As he neared, he reached in his jacket, feeling for the key. His fingertips brushed the fabric of his pocket. No key. It must have fallen out on the run back.

There was no time to worry about it now. With the door in sight, he loosed his gun from its holster. His steps didn’t slow. As he lifted his leg, preparing to kick, he had the grim satisfaction of knowing the bill for the damage he was about to cause was going straight to Erwin. He slammed his heel just below the doorknob, and the door cracked, swinging in.

He was immediately aware of the silence.

Adjusting his grip on the weapon, he stepped into the room, chest angled to the side. The jaded half of his field-wary mind already expected the worst. He scanned the room, straining to remain clinical, detached.

At the center of the floor, partially hidden beneath pillows and blankets, there was a body.

Levi froze, muscles locking.

The brush of shoes on carpet – Mike entering the room – broke the spell.

Lifting his gun, he stepped forward. His heartrate picked up, a heavy thudding in his chest. When he bent, kneeling down, the dull thudding sounded abnormally loud in his ears. Stretching out his arm, he reached for the blanket.

 “Levi?” A head poked around the side of the bed.

When teased about it later, Levi steadfastly maintained that he did _not_ jump. If anything, it was a start. _Maybe a slight full body twitch._

Instinctively whipping his weapon towards the sound, he pivoted, and stared down the barrel of his gun - at Hanji’s wide-eyed stare.

“Fucking shit, four-eyes.” He immediately lowered the weapon.

First he was relieved. The body – it must be her attacker. The muscles in his chest relaxed. He could once again breathe.

Next, he was annoyed. _Because who the hell startles a man holding a gun?_

His annoyance blossomed into full blown irritation when he realized he couldn’t decide if he was more freaked out by the idea that Hanji might have been the limp body, or that he’d nearly shot her.

With a muffled sound of annoyance, he shoved the gun back in his jacket.

Hanji, on the other hand, was oblivious to his back and forth swing of emotions. Pressed up against the side of the bed, she leaned back. Long legs sprawled in front of her. Her head leaned back, resting against the corner of the mattress. Glasses askew, she smiled up. “Didn’t mean to startle you. I didn’t know for sure if you were another TITAN agent.”

A Taser rested at her feet.

He supposed that was… _fair_. It didn’t stop him from scowling as he turned away.

Bending down, he tugged up the pillow obscuring the agent’s head. Her eyes were closed and her mouth slack. The woman was out cold.

“Mike!” Hanji’s voice rose, excited behind him. “Erwin sent you to take care of the search?”

Grinning, Mike stepped over the unconscious agent. “Yep!” He surveyed the room’s disarray with raised brows. “Looks like you did alright here.”

Hanji tossed the Taser between her palms. “My high powered Taser certainly helped.”

Chuckling, Mike ruffled a hand over her tangled hair. “I told Erwin you’d be fine in the field. Our Zoe’s a tough one, huh?”

Mike was addressing him. But Levi had other things on his mind. Turning on his heel, he looked over the room. “Any idea why she was here?”

Hanji reached under the bed. “She wanted my research.” she said, hugging the laptop possessively against her chest.

“What do you have on it?”

Her shoulders lifted. “Three years’ worth of information that I’ve compiled about their organization –  more recently, anything I’ve managed to dig up about the missiles and the launch codes.”

Rubbing a hand over his mouth, he looked at the woman on the floor. “What would they want with that?”

“Realistically, they _shouldn’t_ want it or need it. They certainly don’t need information on themselves and why would they want my research on the missiles? They’re already in their possession.” Hanji drummed her fingers over the laptop case. “My best guess is that they were trying to take my laptop in order to upload some kind of virus onto the agency server. Erase my research and all its backups in one fell swoop. That would certainly hinder our pursuit of them.”

“Would that work?”

She blew out a breath. “Of course not! I keep multiple hard copies of the most important data.” She shrugged. “I never said the plan was well thought out.”

Levi tapped his foot against the downed agent’s boot. No response. “We’ll send her in for questioning. See if our best can’t get some answers out of her.”

In the meantime, Mike had made himself comfortable on the bed. He spoke, his feet propped up on a pillow. “What I want to know is how they found you guys here.”

That was a question he was curious about as well. It was one they’d have answered if the red-haired agent could be made to speak.

Footsteps pounded the hall. Seconds later, several heads poked around the door.

Levi, who’d begun to reach for his weapon, let his hand fall when he recognized the faces in the door.

Mike jerked up. “What the heck? I told you guys to wait in the van.”

Eren spoke first. “We wanted to make sure you didn’t need back up.”

They looked ridiculous, crowded in the hall, heads crammed together to peer in the door. “Get in here.” Levi snapped, “And close the door behind you.”

Mike crossed his arms. “You guys left the van unattended?”

Eren shook his head. “Of course not, sir! We made Jean watch it.”

Placated, Mike leaned back. “Alright. But we can’t leave him down there by himself long.”

Meanwhile, Hanji’s eyes lit as she took in their faces. “I take it you’re my search team?”

Heads nodded.

Perching a hand on her hip, Hanji looked them over.

At the same time, their eyes rolled up and down. Hanji stood confident before them, hair tangled and clad in only her pajamas.

Armin broke the silence. “Head Research Scientist Hanji Zoe, it’s an honor to meet you.” He held out his hand.

Stepping up, she gave it an enthusiastic shake. “And you are?”

The kid stuttered. “A-armin Arlet. I’ve been interested in your department for a long time.” He’d once again begun to turn red.

Bending to pick up several of Hanji’s papers that had dropped to the floor, Levi muttered, “Try not to piss yourself, kid.”

Behind him he could hear Eren - the annoying one - complaining to Mike, something about letting him, Mikassa, and Armin work as a team of three. Levi rolled his eyes.

Straightening, he looked over the papers in his hands. Hard copies of the reports of various agents concerning Marco Bott. Had the TITAN agent attempted to take these too? He frowned, looking them over. What the hell would she want with them?

A panicked shout interrupted his speculation.

“Agent Zacharius!”

Reiner Braun knelt beside the fallen TITAN agent. Hands on her shoulders, he attempted to restrain her convulsing body. The woman’s eyes rolled back as her arms and legs violently twitched. Yellow froth leaked from the corners of her mouth.

“ _Shit_.” Pushing the broad shouldered agent aside, he fell to his knees beside her.

Hanji dropped on her other side. Careful not to touch the liquid seeping from her mouth, she gripped her chin, turning the woman’s face up. As she peered down, her glasses caught the light.

“Strychnine – poison.”

A guttural gasp. The woman’s muscles locked and her body contorted, back arching off the floor. The agent’s leg kicked in one last convulsion – and then she went still. A shuddering breath rattled between her lips. Blank, glossy eyes stared up as putrid liquid continued to trickle from the corner of her mouth. The carpet beneath her was stained in thick, dribbling dots. 

Hanji pressed two fingers to her throat. After a moment, she shook her head.

“How the fuck did she manage to poison herself?” Bending over her, he reached to pry open her mouth.

Hanji grabbed his hand, snatching it away from the body. “Don’t touch it.”

Gently setting the woman’s head on the carpet, Hanji looked her over. “She could have done it a number of ways. It could have been a fake tooth, as you seem to suspect; perhaps a barbed accessory, or a pin in her hair.”

He looked up. “Did anyone see her move?”

Around them, agents shook their heads.

Reiner shifted. “I thought I saw her starting to move. When I bent down to check, she started convulsing.”

“Alright. From this point out, no one touches the body.” Standing, Hanji pointed a finger at him. “That includes you mister. Hands off.”

He lifted his hands.

“Until we have a definitive source of the poison, no one goes near her.” Hanji turned to Mike. “Call in an investigative unit. I want to know exactly how she died.”

He nodded, phone already in hand.

Crossing his arms, Levi looked over the scene. What a mess. Now, they’d get nothing from her. “As soon as the unit gets here, we need to move out.”

With one last look at the body, Hanji crossed the room and began zipping up her bags.

Mike clapped his hands. “ _Oookay!_ Field trip’s over. Everybody back to the van.”

As the younger agents filed out, Levi turned to the dresser to begin packing his own things.

Mike hesitated at the door. “We’ll let you know the second we make any headway. “He folded his arms. “Just…keep a sharp eye out.” He frowned, looking troubled. “I can’t help but feel like there’s a wild card somewhere in the mix – we’ve just yet to see it.”

Levi looked over his shoulder, giving Mike his full attention.

On the other side of the room, Hanji straightened, sitting back from her bag. “What kind of a wild card?”

Mike shook his head. “No idea. It’s just a feeling. Like…” He hesitated, as if searching for the right words, “…this entire TITAN situation is a puzzle, and we’re trying to solve it while missing a major piece.”

Levi turned back to packing. “A ‘feeling’ doesn’t fucking help us much.”

Mike scratched at the side of his head. “Yeah, I know.” he said, his voice resigned. “I’ll let you know if I get anything more concrete. But for now, be careful, alright?”

He looked between them.

Hanji gave him a thumbs-up. “Sure thing.”

As he stepped through the door, she called after him. “You be careful-” The door closed, cutting her off. She finished the sentence, her voice subdued. “-too.”

They were packed and ready to go in just under twenty minutes. He imagined it might be a record for Hanji, who’d spent most of the time scurrying between bags, checking to make sure nothing was being left.

With their bags ready and waiting by the door, Hanji folded her hands. “How long, you think, until the investigative unit will be here?”

He checked his watch. “Ten minutes. Erwin knows how important this shit is.”

Hanji nodded, looking back at the body. She tilted her head. Something had caught her eye. Before he could say anything, she’d crossed the room and was crouched over the body.

“Four-eyes, you’re the one who said we weren’t supposed to touch the body.” He said, as he watched her hovering hand creep closer to the woman.

Hanji glanced up. “I’m not – just – there’s something I want to see.” Yanking a sheet from the bed, she wrapped it around her hand. With the crudely made glove, she pulled at the neckline of the woman’s shirt.

Levi leaned forward.

There, nestled against her pale skin, was a cross.

Hanji tilted her head. Her free hand adjusted her glasses.

Kneeling closer, he looked down at it. The cross was a few inches long, and instead of wood or metal, it was crafted in what looked to be layered cloth. Intricate embroidery covered the cross’s arms. Its edges were laced in silk.

“Why the hell would she wear something like that on a mission?”

Hanji turned the cross in her hand. “My question exactly.” She looked up. “Levi, grab my scissors and a plastic baggie from my backpack.”

He frowned.

“Come on, I’m holding this thing with a blanket. I can’t get them.”

Pressing his hands to his knees, he stood.

Unzipping her backpack, he stared down, horrified at the sheer number and variety of items cluttering its inside. “Where do I look?”

“Ummm…check the right side.”

Muttering under his breath about stupid scientists and disorganization, he dug through the pack. After a prolonged search, he found the scissors on the _left_ side of the backpack and the baggies at the bottom.

She plucked the scissors from his hand first.

“Don’t you have some high tech device to do your cutting?”

Lifting the scissors, she snipped through the necklace’s silk chain. She looked up, eyebrows raised. “Why would I? Scissors do the job just fine.”

She grabbed for the bag.

With the cross safely sealed away, she sat back on her heels. “There.”

No more than a minute later, the investigative unit knocked at the door.

Bags packed away in the trunk, Levi made a concerted effort to get to the driver’s side first. If they had to drive such a conspicuous car, he was at least going to enjoy driving it. But it turned out he needn’t have worried. Hanji, preoccupied with the religious artifact in her hand, had stepped automatically to the passenger side, and was reaching blindly for the handle.

When he hopped in, she was already in her seat, turning the cross over in her hands. She didn’t look up when he turned on the engine, or when he pressed the gas, accelerating quickly from the hotel.

He drove, occasionally glancing at the blurred signs that flashed past. He didn’t have a specific location in mind. In fact, it was best that he didn’t. His primary objective was to put some distance between them and that hotel. Somehow, someway, TITAN had known they were there. But it was hard for an enemy to predict a location you didn’t have planned. So for now, he drove.

They were on a two lane highway out of Belgrade when she finally spoke.

“Levi, can I use your phone? I need to get online.”

“What about yours?”

“It was smooshed under that agent’s boot.”

He straightened his arm, bracing the wheel as he lifted in his seat, dragging the cell from his pants. He dropped it in her waiting palm.

“What are you looking up?”

Silence.

Glasses perched high on her nose, her thumbs tapped quickly over the screen. She was already gone.

Huffing a short breath, he turned back to the road. Yellow lines blurred, flashing, as he sped over faded asphalt. Houses gave way to fields, and before long they were speeding past rolling hills and quarries of trees.

They’d traveled an hour through Serbian countryside when Hanji dropped the phone in her lap. “Which way are we going?”

“What?”

“Which direction are we traveling right now?”

“We’re on E-763. South-west.”

Silence again as she consulted the phone.

“When Route 22 comes up, take the exit for it.”

“Why?”

“We need to go west to get to Croatia.”

His fingers flexed over the wheel. “And why, exactly, are we going to Croatia?”

“Because I have a hunch that Dubrovnik, Croatia, is where _this_ ,” she waved the bagged cross in the air, “is originally from.”

“A hunch.” She wanted him to drive what – consulting his basic knowledge of the area, he did the calculations in his head – nearly eight hours, for a hunch.

“More than a hunch, really. I’ve been looking up crafts and artistry throughout the area, because it was such an odd design – an embroidered cross. I hadn’t seen anything like it before. And lo and behold, Dubrovnik craftsmen are known for their skills in intricate embroidery.”

She continued, “And it’s just so _odd_ , wearing something so personal on a mission like this. I can’t make sense of it.”

She was right there. Levi couldn’t fathom why the woman would have worn it out in the field. No matter how religious, agents knew not to wear anything that could hint too much about them – or worse, lead an enemy agent too close to home.

“Fine. It’s not like we have anything better to do.”

She grinned. “Nope! Not until Mike or the newbies can track down our delivery guy.”

He pushed the car faster. “You noticed too. What the fuck is Erwin doing sending a bunch of rookies out here?”

She shrugged. “Why does Erwin do anything? In a few months his motive _might_ become clear.”

Levi snorted. “More like a few years. The guy’s incapable of doing anything that he hasn’t figured out some intricate plan for. He probably schedules his shits a few weeks in advance.”

Hanji threw her head back and laughed.

It was loud, raucous – and even as he drove, focused on navigating the twisting road, it drew from him a smile.

They spent the next hour debating which of the new agents was the most baby-faced, or as Levi put it – looked the most like they’d shit themselves under fire. It was ultimately a toss-up between the blond with the page-boy cut - Armin and the spastic duo - Sasha and Connie.

Afterwards, they drifted into silence. Hanji, with her chin perched on her hand, leaned against the window, watching the Serbian countryside flash past. Levi watched the road, his forward gaze every once in a while broken by a quiet glance in the scientist’s direction.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the plot thickens… :} But also - guess who’s realizing that having a certain scientist for a partner might not be half bad…d’aww
> 
> On another note, my research as of late has involved (1) lethal poisons and their effects (2) a wiki how article with a detailed explanation of how to kick in doors (3) google maps directions from Belgrade to Dubronvik (4) and whether or not guns can fire under water.
> 
> So…if I’m taken away for suspicious internet activity, I’m gonna need you guys to back me up. lol tell them "she’s just a writer!"


	7. Chapter 7

By the time they arrived in Dubrovnik the sun had begun a slow descent towards the horizon. A cool breeze gusted about, tugging at her hair and slipping between the buttons of her blouse; it smelled like the sea. When she opened her mouth, taking a deep breath, her tongue was met with the sharp tang of salt.

“Where the hell are we going next?” Levi asked from where he leaned against the car. He’d angled his head to face the gusty breeze. His short, dark hair fluttered against his forehead. 

So far, they’d already made several stops to local shops, inquiring about the cross. And though the merchants seemed to indicate crosses such as the one in their possession had indeed been purchased for a church within the immediate city of Dubrovnik, they couldn’t say for sure which one.

Hands on her hips, Hanji surveyed the town. White walled, red roofed houses stretched up the hillside. Interspersed throughout the crowded buildings, she could make out the distinctive, narrow-tipped roofs of churches.

“Of Croatia’s population, around eighty-five percent are Catholics, five percent are Orthodox Christians, two percent are Muslim, and the rest have no affiliation.”

Levi stared. “You sound like a fucking encyclopedia.”

Tapping a finger on her lips, her answer was automatic. “I did research while you drove.” Even as she spoke, her mind was occupied considering the ramifications of the data. While Catholics were more likely to wear crucifixes as opposed to generic crosses, as far as she understood, they did sometimes wear crosses. Which meant she couldn’t rule out the Catholic churches in the area. _Which meant,_ they had a lot of searching to do.

“We’ll check all of the churches in the area.”

Levi looked dubiously up at the town. “All of them?”

“Yep! But look at this place!” She flung her arm, gesturing from the whitewashed houses to the cerulean blue sea that stretched below. “Who wouldn’t want to explore this town a bit?”

She was expecting an answer, specifically, a grumpy ‘me’. When none came, she turned. Levi was already walking towards the town.

“Hey! Wait up!”

Once in town, Hanji’s eyes wandered over the buildings, alight with wonder. She loved seeing new things, and most of all, loved immersing herself in them, learning all there was to know. It was for this reason she excelled in research. Once she sunk her teeth into something, she didn’t give it up until she’d drawn from its marrow, every last bit of knowledge.

Though it was made of cloth, the cross weighed heavy in her bag. It was a mystery. And Hanji Zoe couldn’t leave a mystery unsolved.

And so she hurried through town, going from church to church, all the while taking in all the sights her wide eyes could physically process. More than once, she felt Levi’s gaze upon her.

When questioned, he shook his head, muttering under his breath. The only words she ever managed to catch were, “Over-excited scientist,” and “pain in the ass”.

They’d searched eleven consecutive churches without finding a single embroidered cross. The sun had begun to set when they stumbled upon the twelfth.

Nestled between run-down apartment buildings, the church’s gray, faded walls were nondescript. The feature that really and truly identified it as a church was the several meters tall steeple that extended from the roof.

Dangling from the church’s barred windows, colorful, embroidered crosses hung, twisting in the wind.

Stepping up to the window, she lifted one of the fluttering crosses in her palm. “It’s the same.”

Levi observed the church with a frown. “It looks like any old church.” Marching up the short line of steps, he tried to door. The handle didn’t budge. For a second, it looked like he was seriously considering breaking in, but in the end, he shook his head and stepped away. “Could it be a coincidence?”

“Maybe.” Hanji turned the cross over in her hand. It was secured to the window with a thin piece of twine. “And I suppose with them hanging out here, anyone could have taken one.”

“You don’t sound convinced.”

“I’m not.”

He sighed, “Maybe there’s an entrance around back. I’m not particularly religious, but I’d rather not make a scene by breaking down a local church’s front door.”

Without further ado, he hopped the short fence that led into the narrow alleyway between the church and the apartments beside it.

Clamoring over the rusted metal, she followed after.

The air was stagnant in the narrow space; it smelled of mold and piss. The stench was bad, but not nearly nausea inducing as her solo trip to the sewers. Scrunching her nose, she trailed her fingers along the wall. The coming darkness made the alleyway dim, and she didn’t want to miss a doorway hidden amongst the bricks.

In front of her, Levi marched resolutely forward. His shoulders were hunched and his arms pressed firmly against his sides, careful not to brush up against the walls.

“I forget, how long have you been a germaphobe? It seems like it’s been as long as I’ve known you.”

“I’m not a germaphobe. Unlike _some people_ , I’d rather not be fucking filthy.”

She didn’t miss the emphasis. Presumably ‘some people’ was her. “I’m not filthy. Just efficient.” As she spoke, her fingers brushed over something soft and sticky. She dislodged the mystery substance with a flick.

A single hanging light illuminated the end of the alley. Beneath it, nestled in the crumbling brick wall, there was a door. Its wood was weathered and dented. The handle had begun to rust.

Lips curling in distaste, Levi reached for the door handle. Red flakes of rust dislodged as he twisted it. Not a budge.

“Are you averse to kicking in a church door where it _won’t_ make a scene?”

Levi glanced over his shoulder, taking stock of the dim and deserted alleyway. He shrugged. Angling his body to the side, he drew back his leg, delivering a solid kick to the door. There was a crack, and the wood bowed in, but the door held firm. Levi frowned. Licking his lips, he prepared to kick again.

And then she heard it. A click. It was followed quickly by a second and then a third. Hanji tilted her head. It sounded almost like-

Realization struck.

She had just enough time to shout his name, throwing herself at him, when a bullet shot through the door in an explosion of wood.

They hit the ground hard enough to drive the air from her lungs. They’d barely landed when she felt two solid arms wrap around her. The world spun. When she opened her eyes, her back was against cold ground and Levi crouched above her. After the rapid flip, Levi’s hand was pinned beneath her and his knee braced against the alleyway floor. Checking quickly over his shoulder, he reached into his jacket, and began to push himself up.

She grabbed a fistful of his shirt. “Hold on. It’s an automated defense system.”

Almost too late, she’d recognized the sound. Several years ago she’d studied intel concerning TITAN’s progress in automated defense. With enough information to make an educated guess as to makeup and design, she’d attempted to build a few of her own. One of the models, which was triggered by pressure, had emitted three quiet, but distinct clicks seconds before discharging.

Halted suddenly by her grip, his knee slipped. He avoided falling on her entirely by catching himself on his elbows. His arms, where they pressed against her sides, were solid and firm. For the first time, she got a true sense of the muscle he kept hidden beneath long sleeves.

His scowling face hovered inches above her. He hissed in annoyance, his breath brushing her face. “And I can get up, when?”

“When I’m sure it’s not going to release a second, surprise volley.” She counted the seconds in her head. When fifteen long seconds passed, she released his shirt. “Should be good now.”

He rolled off her, rising quickly to his feet. By the time he stood, his gun was cocked and ready. “I want to know what the hell kind of church has guns rigged to fire at its back door.”

Hanji had barely stood when she felt something cold and hard press against the small of her back. She froze.

Behind her, a smooth, deep voice answered. “A house of God.”

Gun raised, Levi whipped to face him.

The weapon pressed firmly into her back. “It’s a sin to break into a holy place.” The man behind her continued speaking in that bizarrely even tone. “If you’ll enter the church, I may be able to absolve you of your sins.”

Levi narrowed his eyes. “We’ll pass.”

At her back, she felt a click. She swallowed. “Um, Levi-”

Levi’s eyes widened a fraction of an inch. Ever so slowly, his gun lowered. “I’m no believer, but holding a gun to someone’s back doesn’t strike me as being all that godly.”

Cold metal wavered once, before pressing more firmly against her skin. “I don’t want to hurt anyone. But you have to go inside.”

Hanji looked between Levi and the door. If this place was equipped with an automated defense system, there was no telling what else was beyond that door. If they went in, would they ever come back out? Forcing her arms to be steady at her sides, she raised her voice. “Who are you?”

“Please, just step through the door.”

Hanji’s hands clenched. “I said, who are you?”

Levi’s gaze flicked between her and the man at her back. His gun hovered, half-raised. “Four-eyes-”

Despite the weapon digging against her skin, she growled out, gritting her teeth. “ _Who the hell are you?”_

The man’s arm jerked. She flinched, half-expecting a shot to ring out.

Instead, he spoke, his voice hoarse. “Nick. Call me Pastor Nick.”

Across the alley, Levi stood, his entire body tense. Around his weapon, his knuckles had gone white.

Hanji took a breath. “Are you with TITAN?”

There was a second’s hesitation. “…yes.”

And just like that, Levi’s gun was back up.

Pastor Nick continued. “So you know, I won’t hesitate to fire.”

As he spoke, Levi’s gaze shifted. For a second, his eyes met hers.

“How confident are you in your ability to shoot me before I get off a shot?” The gun poked at her back, a grim reminder. “It only takes one.”

Hanji’s lip curled. She hated this. Being what - _leverage_? But most of all, she hated the man behind her. 

She’d seen firsthand Levi’s ability as a marksman. _Screw it_. Narrowing her eyes, she held Levi’s gaze, willing him to go for it. _Do it. Shoot the bastard._

“Lower your weapon, and walk through that door.”

Levi’s lips pulled back in a silent snarl. His fingers tightened over his gun, squeezing, and then – he lowered his hands. The gun pointed harmlessly at the ground.

“Put it down.”

Scowling, Levi obeyed, not once taking his eyes off the pastor.

“Put your hands on your head, and walk through the door.”

Levi complied, his expression murderous. Turning on his heel, he crossed the alley in slow, steady steps. Without hesitating, he crossed the threshold of the destroyed door.

With a hard grip on her arm and the gun at her back, Pastor Nick pushed her towards the door. She didn’t resist, even as the doorway rose up in front of her. Levi was already inside. She hadn’t been in the field very long, and she certainly wasn’t considered a full-fledged spy by anyone’s standards, but already she was certain of this one fact: if nothing else, partners should stick together. Levi’d gone in, so she was going too.

Lifting her chin, she stared stonily ahead. At the threshold of the church she squared her shoulders and stepped into darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hehehe another cliffhanger :} sorry! Tune in next week to find out what the heck is up with Pastor Nick and his run down church!


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one is coming later than normal. I was a little rushed in finishing and felt kind of crummy about my writing in it, so I've been dragging my feet about posting it here. But here it is!

Levi stepped into the church, acutely aware of the pressure of the knife he’d strapped just above his left ankle. If he could get it out, he’d have a good chance of overpowering the pastor. But he couldn’t risk making a move while the bastard’s gun was pointed at four-eyes’ back. He’d have to wait, time it just right.

The interior of the church was dark – save for the floor. The cracked tiles that crunched beneath his shoes were bathed in light. The last rays of the setting sun filtered in through dusty stained glass, alighting the church floor in a mosaic of color.

Behind him, there was a scrape and then stumbling steps. Hanji had joined him.

His hands clenched into fists as he turned to face them. He just had to wait for the right moment. And then, pastor or not, this asshole was going down.

Still holding the gun at Hanji’s back, the pastor reached back, pulling a rolled sheet of metal from above the entryway. A secondary door – since the first had been blown away when the automated defense system fired.

Levi could just make out where the defense system, a rigged, automatic weapon, was mounted against the wall.

The metal sheet crashed down and the view of the alleyway disappeared. With the door down, the sounds of the outside world were silenced. The church, full of hard tile and arched ceilings, echoed with the sounds of the Pastor’s labored breaths.

His last breath emerged, a long weary sigh. “There.” His fingers snapped open and the gun dropped, clattering to the floor.

Levi dropped, grabbing for his leg. When he rolled up the blade was ready, its hilt pressed firmly into his palm. As Hanji jumped back, away from the pastor, Levi charged forward, blade raised.

Leaping at the pastor, he tossed the knife up and caught it so the blade extended from the outside of his palm. Bending his elbow, he drew back the weapon.

The pastor dropped to his knees. He threw his hands up with a shout, “ _Stop_. I wasn’t going to hurt you!”

Levi halted. The blade hovered, inches from the pastor’s flesh. “Bullshit.”

He shuddered, staring at the ground. “No, _I swear_ – I swear it was a ruse.” He licked his lips. His eyes flicked up once, glancing at Levi, before jerking back to the ground. “I had to get you inside. Outside – there’s always eyes watching, ears listening.”

Tiles crunched. Hanji stood beside him. Hands crossed over her chest, she observed the trembling pastor. “Swear on the bible then. Or God.” She watched him. “That what you’re saying is true.”

He swallowed. “As a man of God, I don’t think-”

“Levi.”

Understanding what she meant for him to do, he jerked the knife forward. It stopped centimeters from Pastor Nick’s throat.

The pastor had gone white. He moaned, “I swear on God’s good name, I mean you no harm.”

Levi drew the knife slightly back, but kept it safely within striking range. “And why, exactly, did you have to put on that little show?”

“I wasn’t lying. I am affiliated with TITAN. But-” He ducked his head. “Ah well, it is a complicated situation, to say the least.” His hands clenched over his robes. “But you are enemies of Titan, yes?”

They slowly nodded their heads.

“That’s – I thought so. I needed to talk to you. Without anyone in TITAN finding out. I’m-” He hesitated. “Well, my resolve wavers. I’m no longer sure of TITAN’s mission.” He stared, unblinking at the ground. “Of whether it will truly set the world on the right path.”

Levi spoke, his voice carefully quiet. “You’re going to desert?”

The pastor shook his head. “I – well I don’t know. I needed to talk. And to get answers.”

Could he really be telling the truth? It wasn’t _impossible_. Levi watched him, measuring the frequency of his breaths, taking in the motion of his eyes and the sweat that dampened his upper lip.

Was it the truth or a lie – or something in between? It was hard to tell. A TITAN agent, even one with religious affiliations would be trained – and therefore, a convincing liar.

As he went back and forth, weighing what the pastor had said and the bodily ticks that accompanied them, he found himself glancing to his side. When he met Hanji’s gaze, she gave a slight nod.

Levi pulled the knife a fraction of an inch back. “You wanted to talk. So talk.”

The pastor lifted his head. “Could you lower the knife?”

“No.”

His lips pressed together. Eyes on the shining metal at his throat, he gave a slow, careful nod. “I grew up on the streets. Without a family or a home. I was an orphan of war.”

As he spoke, Levi’s hand slowly tightened over the knife’s hilt. His lips drew back. Beside him, Hanji had stiffened.

Pastor Nick blinked, taking in their expressions. “I’m not trying to gain your sympathy. It’s simply my truth. The reason I joined TITAN.” He paused, taking a breath. “I grew up, an orphan of war. I became a pastor so that I could help those who’d faced the same traumas as I. I wanted to give them something – faith, hope.”

His hands clenched and unclenched over his robes. “But the world is a violent place. For every person I helped, there were hundreds more in need of aid. I watched countless suffer – and the great powers of the world didn’t care.” When he looked up, his eyes had gained a near-manic glint. “This world is engulfed in warfare. And as long as the powerful go unharmed, they don’t care how many innocent are left, dead and mangled along the way.”

Hanji spoke, her voice careful. “Yes, there is violence in this world. But I think the view you’ve taken is overly simplistic.”

Levi nodded in silent agreement. Four-eyes was right. Bad shit happened. It was a fact of life. If you went around trying to lay blame for each and every wrong on a worldwide scale, there wouldn’t be a single innocent party on the planet.

The pastor tilted his head. “Is it though?”

Levi and Hanji shared a glance.

“TITAN found me. They told me of their plan. To dismantle the world as we know it. Crumble the existing power structure and start again, fresh, with something new. Create a world in which people care about each other and are cared for in return.”

“Drank that kool-aid right down, didn’t you?”

Hanji shook her head, staring sadly at the man below them. “Utopias are only ever good in theory. They never work.”

The pastor’s eyes rolled up. “But they had money, and _a plan_. I believed, I really believed they could do it. Fix our world. So I did as they said. I moved here, opened my church as a safe house for TITAN agents.”

Hanji lifted her hand. A plastic baggy dangled from her fist. “So this is yours?”

The pastor’s eyes widened at the sight of the cross. “Johana.”

The baggy lowered. “You knew her.”

“Then she’s dead.” He heaved a heavy sigh. “Yes. She was here, using the safe house not long ago. I was – I was trying to convince her to look into something for me. But she refused.”

“Investigate what?” Levi prompted, twitching the knife.

The pastor swallowed. The sound was audible in the silent church. “I’ve started to hear things. Upsetting things.”

“Let me guess – something about missiles?” Levi said, watching him closely.

His head jerked up. “Yes,” he breathed. “I joined TITAN because they promised to dismantle the power structure and _save_ the people. But this-” He’d begun to shudder. “If what I’ve heard is true, _millions_ will die.”

The air felt heavy.

“They’re nuclear then.”

The pastor released a quaking sigh. “Three, from what I hear.”

There was a click.

Hanji had picked up the pastor’s gun. With her feet spread even, she raised the weapon in a two-handed grip. She jerked it up, holding it to the pastor’s head. “Tell us everything. All of TITAN’s secrets. Everything you know.”

Wide-eyed, the priest looked at the gun, then at Hanji, and finally to Levi, silently begging him for help.

Drawing the knife away, he stepped back. Hanji’s hands were steady and her gaze was sharp. For now, he wouldn’t interrupt.

“I-I can’t.”

“What do you mean? You’re deserting.”

His chest rose and fell in rapid, unsteady breaths. “I haven’t decided for sure.”

Pushing forward, she shoved the gun against the side of his head. She growled, “ _Decide_? What’s there to decide? As of now, TITAN has killed thousands!” She bumped the gun against his temple. “And if what you say is true, before this is done, they will kill _millions_ more.”

The pastor shook. “I need to be sure.”

She squeezed the weapon. Her hands were white. “You need to talk.”

“I can’t.”

“You will.”

His lips pressed in a thin line.

Hanji’s hands had begun to shake. “What kind of a pastor are you? Huh?! That you would stand by and let countless innocent people die? Is it worth it?! Your new world? Is it worth the blood of all those innocent people?” Her finger was wrapped around the trigger.

The pastor’s face had gone pale. At his knees, the tiles faded to gray, no longer a mosaic of color. The sun had set. The stained glass above them was dark.

When he spoke, his voice emerged, a rasp. “They trained me. I will not be made to talk, ever. Unless I so choose to.” He closed his eyes. “Do with me what you will. I put my faith in God.”

Hanji’s hands went still. And then her arms dropped. The gun dangled, harmlessly at her side. The fire had left her eyes. She titled her head back. Closing her eyes, she breathed a weak chuckle. “Fine. Don’t talk. We’ll figure it out with or without your help.”

“You say you need to be sure.” At Levi’s voice, the pastor and Hanji both glanced in his direction. “What will that take?”

“Proof. I’ve been loyal to TITAN for so many years. I need to see proof of this heinous plan with my own eyes.”

He and Hanji shared another glance. The launch codes. If they managed to track them down, they would not only put the brakes on TITAN’s missile operation – it would give them proof – proof enough to coax the man before them to spill potentially damning information about the rogue group.

Levi turned back to the kneeling pastor. “We’ll get you proof.”

He breathed a shuddering sigh. “Alright. Good. Then I’ll wait-”

Levi grabbed his arm, yanking him roughly to his feet. “You’re coming with us.”

He sputtered. “W-what?”

“We’re not letting you out of our sight.” Levi said, tightening his grip.

Behind the pastor, Hanji looked smug as she tucked the newly acquired weapon into her bag. “Look alive Pastor Nick, the three of us will get to spend some quality time together.”

“But – but TITAN will know I’m thinking of deserting!”

The knife flashed. Hand steady, Levi held it to the pastor’s neck. “But we kidnapped you.”

The pastor’s adam’s apple bobbled as he roughly swallowed. “Right. Okay, then.”

Hanji shouldered her bag. “Where to now?”

Levi glanced around the church. “The hell away from here.” As a safe house, it was surely being watched. Their getaway would have to be fast.

He’d begun to push Pastor Nick towards the door when his pocket buzzed. Before he could grab for it, Hanji’s fingers slipped in, plucking the phone easily from his pocket.

He glared.

Pointedly ignoring the glare, Hanji tapped the screen and lifted the phone to her ear. “Hi Mike!”

Levi strained to hear. He was annoyed to find he could only make out the muted rise and fall of a deep voice.

Hanji nodded as she listened. And then, her lips slowly spread in a wide grin. Behind smudged glasses, her eyes were alight with excitement. “They found him. Delivery guy.” She paused, listening. Her eyes flicked up. “Montenegro. They’ve tracked him to a coastal town.”

That decided their next destination, then. Montenegro. To find the delivery man, and steal the codes.

Levi tightened his grip on the Pastor’s arm. “Alright. Let’s go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Hopefully it wasn't as bad as I thought. Sometimes I need to get out of my own head. The next update should be coming this weekend.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for your encouraging reviews :) Hope you enjoy the next chapter!

Phone against her ear and feet perched against the dash, Hanji tilted her head, lightly thunking her temple against the window. Outside, streetlamps flashed past, lighting the interior of the car in an eerie, flickering glow.

_Thunk._

_Thunk._

_Thunk._

Levi glanced, irritated, in her direction.

Hanji paused long enough to let the chilled glass cool her temple.

An automated voice-mail recording played at her ear. Blowing a frustrated breath, she ended the call, dropping the phone into a cup holder. “He’s still not answering.”

They were less than thirty minutes from Montenegro and Mike hadn’t answered any of her calls. She’d been trying off and on for the last hour, with no luck. She was loathe to jump to any conclusions, but his silence was…unusual. Even on missions, he’d always been good at responding – replying with texts when he couldn’t take a call.

Turning away from the phone, she watched the flickering lights of coastal towns pass beyond the glass. It was warm air that caused the illusion of the dancing lights. The ground, still warm from the day, released heat, which rose, disrupting the passage of the light.

Hanji sighed, turning away from the window. Unfortunately, musing about the science of heat and light wavelengths wasn’t enough to distract her from the fact that _Mike - the bastard - wasn’t answering his phone_. She drummed her fingers against the center armrest.

This continued – the pads of her fingers, drumming spastic patterns against leather – for about a minute. She paused, and was about to start on another round of taps, when a hand settled over hers, forcibly pressing her fingers flat.

“No more.” Levi’s voice was low. His eyes hadn’t left the road.

The hand atop hers was warm and his palm rough. He pinned her hand for another few seconds, as if to ensure that when he pulled back, she’d really and truly be still. When he finally lifted his hand, peeling his fingers back one at a time, she was tempted to tap a single finger, just to spite him.

He must have expected something similar from her, because as he drew his hand back to the wheel, his eyes flicked in her direction, narrowing in warning.

She crossed her arms.

In the back seat, Pastor Nick sat, hands folded in his lap. Other than inquiring once about the specifics of their destination (which they didn’t know – Mike was supposed to tell them _where_ in Montenegro to go), he’d been closed-lipped for the majority of the trip.

Hanji turned in her seat. “How’re you doing back there?” She pushed the headrest up, and leaning forward, peered through the window she’d made between the headrest and seat. She grinned. “Getting enough air?”

He nodded.

Hanji perched her chin on her fist, observing him. Hands folded stiffly in his lap, he leaned against the car door. With his shoulders scrunched up, close to his body, he seemed to be attempting to occupy as little space as was physically possible.

“You were so talkative in the church back there. What’s with the silence?”

The pastor’s shoulders shifted incrementally up. “I said everything that I needed to. There is nothing left for me to discuss.”

“There is such a thing as small talk, Pastor Nick. Or is that reserved for God?” Pressing her palm over the headrest, she snapped it back into place. Spinning she grabbed for the phone. Chatting with the good pastor was about as distracting as listing off the periodic table (she’d memorized _that_ back in third grade).

A toneless dial buzzed at her ear. It rang again and again. Nothing.

She tossed the phone back in the cup holder with slightly more force than was necessary. It spun, scraping against the rims.

“Oi! Don’t fucking break the _only_ working phone we have.”

“ _Levi_. Language. There’s a man of God sitting in the back seat.”

“Fucking hell.”

She thought she heard a quiet gasp behind them.

Hanji _tsked_ , shaking her head. “That’s where you’re going _now_ , idiot.” She spun back, flipping the headrest up in a smooth motion. “Pastor Nick, exactly _which_ circle of Hell is reserved for those who curse in the presence of priests? I’m a little rusty on my _Dante_.”

The pastor floundered. “I – I don’t believe that circle of Hell exists.”

“Look at that! You’re in the clear.” She tapped him with her elbow.

He responded with a glare.

“Oh wait – nope, you’re probably still in deep shit for killing people.” She frowned, turning back to Pastor Nick. “Isn’t that one of the circles of Hell – a shit filled pit?”

He stared. “No.”

Levi’s lips twitched. “There’s a shit filled circle of Hell, and it has your name written all over it, Four-Eyes. Non-believers get the shit hole.”

 Hanji volleyed  back, “Oh good, I’ll save a spot for you, Mr. _I’m not particularly religious_. And for all the other shit you’ve done, your punishment will have to be worse. You’ll have to eat it, or something. The shit. Good luck spending eternity eating shit.”

“I’ll start eating your cooking – for practice.”

At that, Hanji laughed. She held her stomach as her loud guffaws filled the car. As her laughter faded to soft chuckles, she rubbed beneath her eyes. “Ahhh – that was a good one.”

Levi nodded his head. It was dark, but under the fleeing glow of streetlights, she thought his lips might be _slightly_ turned up. An almost smile.

Feeling like she’d won some small victory, Hanji grinned. Turning back, she checked on the pastor. Hands folded tightly in his lap, he glanced, horrified, between them.

“ _Please_. No more.”

Reaching back, she patted his knee. He flinched.

“Don’t worry, we’re done talking about Hell. Or was it the shit part that bothered you?”

The pastor was pale. “All of the above.”

“Alright, alright.” Hanji patted his knee, once more for good measure. “Want some water or something?”

He shook his head.

Hanji sighed. They were back to silence, then. Turning in her seat, she checked the phone. Nothing.

Tilting her head back, she bounced her head against the headrest.

“Zacharius is probably fine.” Levi spoke without taking his eyes from the road. His hands loosely gripped the wheel.

Confident. He sounded confident.  

It was true. Mike was one of the best. But the fact remained that there were _a lot_ of TITAN agents creeping around out there – especially now that the codes were in motion. “We are in TITAN’s backyard. I don’t think my concern is unfounded.”

“True. But he’s a seasoned agent. He’s also got a young, but competent, agent at his back.” Levi paused. “Which one was she? The blonde?”

Hanji paused, thinking back to the agents in the room. “Ah – Agent Leonhart?”

Levi nodded. “Of all the junior agents, she’d racked in the most field time. A good ally on a mission.”

She had a vague recollection of looking over the young woman’s file. And now that he mentioned it, she did remember being impressed by the junior agent’s field experience. It was true – with Mike’s skill and a good agent at his side, there was really, no reason to worry.

Hanji leaned back in her seat. “You’re right. He’s more than likely-”

The phone buzzed.

Hanji flashed him a grin. “Speaking of.” She snatched up the phone. “Mike! Do you know how long I’ve been trying to get ahold of you?”

The line crackled at her ear.

“Mike?”

“Agent – I mean, Research Scientist Hanji Zoe?” The voice was young, pitched much higher than Mike’s deep baritone. And though it was slightly altered over the phone, she thought she recognized it.

“Agent Arlert? Armin?”

“Y-yes its me.” A pause. “I – we are calling because,” he paused again. Static buzzed at her ear. “Agent Zacharius and Annie – they’re gone.”

A lead weight sunk in her stomach. She sat up straight. “Armin, what do you mean, _they’re gone_?”

From the driver’s seat, Levi straightened, glancing between her and the road, alert.

Hanji quickly switched the call to speakerphone

The young agent’s voice shook. “We’ve been spread out, monitoring the area in teams to make sure the target doesn’t make a last minute break for it. Agent Zacharius and Annie were supposed to come back hours ago. Neither of them would answer their phones, and when we went out to check on them, we found their lookout position abandoned.”

From the corner of her eyes, she saw Levi’s hands tighten over the wheel. “Agent Arlert, when you went out looking for them, did you come across any signs of a struggle?”

“Yes.”

She instinctively looked to Levi. For a second, their eyes met.

Armin continued. “But it wasn’t much. Just Annie’s phone. It had been smashed.”

Hanji blinked, thinking out loud. “But Mike’s phone still rings when you call it. Which means-”

Armin’s voice picked up, “-that it’s intact and likely on his person!”

She nodded, pleased. “Exactly.”

“But,” the voice on the line hesitated. “You’re thinking of tracking it, right? I thought agent issued phones were made impossible to track.”

“Agent Arlert, even the most track-proof technology leaves some kind of trail. You just have to know what to look for.”

The younger agent breathed. His voice came out, reverent. “ _Of course-_ ”

Levi snatched up the phone. “Agent Arlert, get off the phone so Hanji can make whatever phone calls she needs to make in order to track our missing agents down.”

Armin’s voice went up an octave. “Right!”

“Armin wait!” Hanji leaned forward. “You are watching our guy by satellite, yes?”

“Yeah.”

“I want all of you to retreat to your determined base. Stay together. Monitor him from there.”

She glanced at Levi, double checking the order. He nodded once.

She leaned back towards the phone. “ _Do not_ leave the base unless it looks like our man is running. Got it?”

“Yes mam.”

A voice sounded, loud in the background.

Hanji frowned, catching a few words. They were yelling something – about _going after Titan bastards_?

Levi scowled. “Who’s that?”

There was a pause. “…Eren – I mean, agent Jaeger, sir.”

Holding the phone up, Levi growled into the speaker. “Tell agent Jaeger I will personally make his life a living hell if he doesn’t follow orders. Stay at the fucking base.”

Armin’s voice wavered. “Y-yes sir. It’s okay. Agent Ack-” He stuttered, clearly flustered. “I mean, Mikasa’s got him pinned. He’s not going anywhere.”

“Watch the target with the satellite and let us know the second the situation changes.”

“And text us your coordinates!” she shouted, before they hung up. “Hang in there, we should be there soon.”

The call went dead.

Grabbing the phone back out of Levi’s hand, Hanji tapped her thumbs over the screen. Seconds later it was ringing.

Holding the phone to her ear, she looked to Levi. “Drive faster?”

The engine revved. Passing streetlamps flashed as they sped by. Levi’s face flashed light and dark as they raced down the abandoned road, his expression was grim.

She glanced back. “Hold on tight Pastor Nick.”

The pastor’s head was bowed and his clasped hands were held at his chest. Wide eyes alternated between staring up at the rapidly disappearing road and blinking, dazed at his lap. From his lips, there were quiet murmurs.

Hanji was going to ask him to throw in a prayer for Mike and Annie while he was at it (hell, it couldn’t hurt), when the phone crackled, and the Moblit’s blessed, _beautiful_ voice sounded, at her ear.

“Moblit! Drop whatever you’re doing and get to a computer. I need you to do _exactly_ as I say.”

Something clattered, and she could only assume Moblit had taken her orders in the most literal sense. Bracing a hand on the dash, she listened to the sounds of Moblit’s mad dash to a computer.

 _Hold on Mike – and Annie._ Her hand clenched, tight over the phone. _We’re coming._


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait! Nanowrimo + the holidays kind of kicked my butt. But I'm back now! From now on, updates should be a bit more regular :)

The temporary base Mike had chosen looked like it had once been a store. The sign that dangled over the entryway was cracked beyond recognition and the storefront, in a state of disarray.

With one hand firmly holding the pastor, Hanji looked around, confused. The storefront windows were broken in, and the store beyond was dark and lifeless. “There’s nothing here.”

Levi stepped over the threshold, broken glass crunching underfoot. “When you’re close to the enemy, it’s best to choose as non-descript a location as possible to set up base.”

Hanji followed him into the store, tugging Pastor Nick along behind her. “Where are they?”

Levi couldn’t say for sure, but if he were Mike, being this close to the enemy with a bunch of rookies on hand… “He probably holed everyone up in a back room.”

As if on cue, a low creak pierced the silent store. At the back of the room, a sliver of light blossomed in the darkness. A cracked door. A head peered out of the small opening.

Hanji waved. “It’s just us.”

The shadow straightened.

As they neared the door, Mikasa’s features became distinguishable in the dark. She lowered her hand. White knuckled fingers gripped a standard-issue firearm.

Sliding past, Levi nodded his approval. She’d been right to expect the worst. They were tailing an agent with direct connections to a powerful organization. In situations such as these, it wasn’t unheard of for those doing the tailing to get a tail of their own.

The room, cramped with agents and equipment, was lit in a soft glow. A screen displayed the image of a hotel room door. A screen beside it showed a hotel room window. “No movement?”

Armin, who sat curled in the seat before the screens, shook his head.

“Who’s that?” asked Mikasa, from where she waited by her post at the door.

“A pastor who’s going to give us inside information on TITAN.”

The pastor give Hanji a sharp look.

She amended, “He’ll _probably_ give us inside information on TITAN.”

“He’s a TITAN agent thinking of defecting.” Levi added, looking around the room. “We need to keep a close eye on him.”

Heads nodded.

Hanji pushed the pastor firmly into an open seat. Swiping back her bangs, she straightened, and gave the room a once-over. “You guys all okay?”

Another round of silent nods.

“Agent Ackerman?” The Jaeger kid rose from where he’d been sitting (it looked more like sulking) in a folded chair. He held out his hand.

The shattered remains of a broken cell phone filled his palm.

Hanji scooped them up.

Lifting the pieces up to her face, she poked at the broken parts with her index finger, carefully sifting through the remains. After a long moment, she looked up.

“Her SD card is missing.”

Levi blew a breath. That was the icing on top of a really fucking terrible cake. Not only were two of their agents missing, but sensitive information may very well have been compromised with the theft of whatever data had been stored on Agent Leonhart’s phone.

They needed to find Mike and Annie, and get that SD card back.

“Have you found a way to track-”

From the pocket of Hanji’s coat, Levi’s phone gave a buzz.

Hanji hopped. Shifting her weight anxiously from foot to foot, she dug the phone from her coat.

“Moblit. Tell me it worked.”

The room held its breath.

Fist raised, Hanji victoriously pumped the air. “We’ve got it.”

“Where?” Levi was already turning towards the door. Agents Zacharius and Leonhart had been missing for several hours already. At this point, every second counted.

Hanji tossed him the phone. “Moblit’s sending the coordinates.”

As he caught it, the screen lit up. Levi frowned down at the glowing script. “Looks like it’s about thirty minutes from here.” Pocketing the phone, he looked around the room. He made a quick decision. “Ackerman and Jaeger. You’re with me. Let’s go.”

He expected Hanji to protest being left. It seemed as though she and Agent Zacharius were close. She’d spent the last hour visibly concerned as to his whereabouts.

However, upon hearing the order, Hanji’s only response was a grim nod. Her gaze shifted over the crowded room.

She understood, then. With so many rookie agents in one place, she was needed here. While she wasn’t field trained, anyone could see that she (mostly) had a good head on her shoulders, not to mention the fact that she was probably more intelligent than everyone in the room combined (not counting that Arlert kid). After the events of the last couple of days, Levi wasn’t surprised to realize he trusted in her ability to look after the base and the younger agents inside.

“While I’m gone, Hanji’s in charge.”

No one questioned the order.

Ackerman and Jaeger followed him to the door.

“We’ll check back in once we’ve located Agent Zacharius.” – _or his phone_.

As he twisted open the dingy door, Hanji opened her mouth, as if to speak. But as the door swung out, rusted hinges releasing an obnoxious whine, her lips pressed together.  Whatever might have been said was reduced to a curt nod.

As he crossed the ruined shop, he could hear the younger agents’ quick, crunching steps as they followed close behind him. “When we get there, priority one will be locating Agents Zacharius and Leonhard. But keep your eyes open. They might not be alone.”

* * *

 

The silence after Levi, Mikasa, and Eren’s departure was heavy, both with worry and, perhaps, words left unsaid. It was interrupted by a whirring buzz. After hours of use, one of the computer’s cooling mechanisms had activated.

Hanji blinked. She’d been staring at the door. Yes, she was obviously worried about Mike and Annie – and now Levi and the younger agents who’d gone after him. But worrying wouldn’t solve anything. And it certainly wouldn’t help them defeat TITAN.

Clapping her hands, she turned to face the room. “Alright. Reiner Braun.”

The bulky agent looked up.

“Keep a close eye on our Pastor friend.”

As Reiner settled in beside Pastor Nick, Hanji added, “Springer! You watch him too.”

Connie jumped up. Squatting down on the other side of the pastor, he fixed him with a narrow-eyed stare. “I won’t take my eyes off him.”

Reiner crossed his arms.

“Arlert. We still have eyes on the target?”

Armin’s head bobbled in a hurried nod.

Before she could turn away, he swiveled in his chair. His hands, knuckles white and fingers clenched tight against his palms, were folded in his lap. Brows furrowed, he opened his mouth, closed it, and opened it again.

Clearly, he had something to say.

“What is it Arlert?”

He swallowed, hesitating.

“Go ahead, spit it out.”

“Ah, Sasha?” He turned a quick look over his shoulder. “Could you keep an eye on the monitor for a sec?”

Once Sasha was settled in front of the screen, Armin gestured Hanji over to the corner of the room. With one last glance at Pastor Nick, who was under Connie’s relentless gaze, Hanji crossed the room.

Fiddling with the buttons on his coat, Armin looked once around the room. He spoke in a whisper. “Do you have the files for the Code Observation Mission #3513?” His eyes flicked nervously around the room once more. “The one with Marco? I mean Agent Bodt.”

Thoroughly confused, both by his interest in the Bodt files and his obvious reluctance to be heard, Hanji leaned in. She instinctively lowered her voice to match his. “What is this about?”

He cast his eyes down. “I’m not – I’m not sure. Back at headquarters I saw some of the evidence as it was filed, and,” he hesitated. “I think I may have noticed a discrepancy.” He looked up, meeting her gaze. “I need to check.”

Hanji had read Agent Arlert’s file. She knew that while he’d barely passed the physical portion of his field aptitude test, he’d scored top marks in strategic planning as well as critical analysis. If the young agent thought that there was a discrepancy in the evidence, it could very well be that there _was_ a discrepancy. And that, to be sure, was an unsettling thought. Because errors in evidence were rarely accidental.

“I’ll get it from my bag.”

After commanding Agent Blouse to take over for Arlert, Hanji passed over the bulging file.

File in his lap, Armin settled in. Flipping methodically through the pages, he poured over the evidence.

Dropping into the empty seat beside Agent Blouse, Hanji resolved to keep an extra eye on the monitor. Levi, Eren, and Mikasa would either find Mike and Annie, or they’d call back and reconvene. And Armin would either find a discrepancy, or he wouldn’t. Waiting was certainly not Hanji’s strong suit. But for now, it was all she could do.

Fifteen minutes passed before she began to pace.

Hands in her pockets, she looked to Pastor Nick. “So do you have any friends? I mean, who aren’t TITAN’s cronies.”

Pastor Nick, who looked as though he might have been dozing, opened his eyes. “The members of my congregation.”

“Huh. So it is a real church that you’re running over there.”

“Of course it’s a real church.”

“That happens to harbor TITAN fugitives on the side.”

He gave an acquiescing shrug.

In the back corner of the office, there was the sound of muted whispers.

The brown haired agent – Jean Kirstein – leaned over Armin. Armin inclined his head towards him. Lips moving quickly, he spoke in a hushed whisper. In his hand, he clutched a single sheet. The paper wrinkled beneath his trembling fingers.

Jean’s eyes were wide. Armin spoke again, and Jean visibly flinched. He leaned in closer, hand gripping the shorter agent’s shoulder. Swallowing, Armin gave a single nod.

Jean stood. His voice was hoarse. “Hanji. Hanji Zoe.” His spoke, sharp. “You need to call Agent Ackerman.”

“What’s going on?” She crossed the room in quick strides, concerned with exactly _what_ Armin had discovered  that was causing both boys such visible distress.

Armin looked up, clearly distraught. “It’s Annie. I think she’s a double agent.”

A chill seeped through her. Ice settled, heavy in her veins. She knelt before him. Urgent, she gripped his arms. “Explain.”

“When the investigation was underway – after Marco died – I was in Evidence, submitting a report on an unrelated case, when I got a glimpse at some of the evidence going through processing. I saw that a gun had been checked in. The baggie that held it was labeled Bodt. It had been recorded as having been fired several times. Bullets from that very gun were recovered in Marco’s body. Of course, everyone assumed it had been wrested from him and then used to kill him. But I noticed something when I got a brief glimpse of the weapon. I thought I hadn’t seen it correctly, or had simply imagined. It was so improbable. But now. With all that’s happened, I - I had to double check.”

Armin gulped, and lifted the wrinkled page. It was filled with small images of various collected evidence. On the bottom right corner, was the image of the gun. “This is not Marco’s gun.” Armin ducked his head. “It’s Annie’s.” He tapped the page. “I recognize the scuff at the bottom of the barrel.”

Hanji’s mind, already abuzz with this new information – and its ramifications, stared at Armin. The horrific truth was beginning to sink in.

Armin had gone silent. Licking her lips, Hanji picked up where he left of. “With the information before us, we can reason, then, that Marco’s gun was not taken from him. And since Annie made no report of her own weapon being stolen and never requested a new one, she must currently be in possession of Marco’s firearm.” Hanji paused.

Armin closed his eyes.

“And since she lied about the true events of that day, whether outright or by omission, we can conclude, that using her own gun, it was Annie who shot Marco.” Hanji finished.

Behind Armin, Jean stood, fists clenched at his sides. “He was nervous before the mission. Cause he’d never been assigned such a high profile one before.” He blinked and his lips pulled back, angry and thin. “And you know what I told him? It’ll be fine. You’re a good agent. And there’s Annie. Nothing’s gonna go wrong with her there.”

Jean dipped his head. His shoulders trembled. “I’m going to kill her.”

Armin whipped back. “Jean-”

Hanji rose. “A phone. I need a phone.”

Around the room, heads turned, surprised, in her direction. They hadn’t heard.

There wasn’t time to explain. “I need someone to give me their phone!”

Fumbling, Sasha grabbed an abandoned cell off the desk. Scrambling up, she held it out.

Hanji’s fingers flew over the keypad. Pressing it to her ear, she listened as it rang. Turning a quick circle, she drummed her fingers against her leg. _Come on, come on. Pick up._ She had to warn them that-

“What is it?” Levi’s wonderfully sharp voice sounded over the phone, annoyed.

“Levi, where are you?”

“Just about to find Mike, before you-”

“Levi!” She cut him off. “It’s a trap. You have to leave. _Now._ ”

“ _What?_ ”

“Agent Leonhart, she’s a-”

On the line, there sounded a series of pops. Levi cursed. There was a crash. And then silence.

Hanji pulled back the phone. The call had gone dead. Tossing the phone back to Sasha, she made a grab for her bag. Glancing about the room, she made a rushed decision. “Arlert, Kirstein! Get your things. You’re coming with me.”

Sasha, clutching the phone to her chest, watched the commotion, confused. “Annie’s a what?”

“She’s suspect. For now, that’s all you need to know.” Digging into the bag, she pulled out the pastor’s gun. “Pastor Nick, you’re coming with me too.”

The Pastor appeared appropriately concerned. “Where are we going?”

“Sounds like Levi may some backup.”

“Surely you don’t need me-”

Still beside him, Reiner agreed, “It’s true. We can keep an eye on him here.”

Hanji shook her head. “This guy’s worth too much. And I don’t trust him. He’s coming with me.” With the gun, she gestured for him to rise. “Come on. Up. We don’t have much time.”

“Ah, Hanji? If you’re worried about him, maybe you can use these?” Sasha held out a pair of cuffs.

“Perfect!” Hanji snatched the cuffs. She could cuff him in the car and not have to worry about him becoming a flight risk should they encounter the enemy.

“As for the rest of you. You need to move. Is there a suitable location to set up a new base?”

Armin, who was struggling to strap on his weapons, looked up at the question. “Yeah. I was helping Mike search out potentials. Our second choice is a few blocks from here.”

 “Good.” She addressed the rest of the room. “Pack everything up and head there now.” Heads turned as the remaining agents looked nervously between one another.

Connie was the first to speak. “…Because…Annie? What did she do?”

“You’ll get the full details later. For now, all that you need to know is that the location of this base has very likely been compromised. You need to leave within the hour. Can you do that?”

Reiner answered for them. “Yes. We can do it.”

“Good. We’ll meet you there.” With Pastor Nick’s arm in one hand and his gun in her other, she made for the door.

Outside, she stopped surprised at the curb. Their red car was still there.

Armin read the surprise on her face. “They probably took Agent Zacharius’ car. It’s more discreet. He left Mikasa with the keys.”

Hanji dug in her pocket. It was a good thing, then, that she’d been given a second set of keys. She pressed a button and the sports car’s lights blinked. Yanking open the door, she shoved Pastor Nick in the back seat. Working quickly, she latched one cuff on his wrist and the other on the door handle.

Jogging around the car, she waved to the waiting agents. “Hurry up! Get in!”

Armin slid into the passenger seat, and Jean, into the empty seat beside the Pastor.

Closing her eyes, Hanji envisioned the phone that she’d tossed Levi, and the glowing coordinates that had flashed on the screen. She spoke them aloud.

She looked to Armin. “Can you give me directions to those coordinates?”

Armin, who already had his phone and an external GPS device in his lap, gave a hurried nod.

Twisting the ignition, Hanji revved the engine. “I’ve been waiting for my turn to drive.”

In the back seat, the Pastor made a small noise of distress.

She stomped her foot, and the car peeled away from the store.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ten years later...THE NEXT CHAPTER! Buckle your seat belts kids. It's gonna be a wild ride.

“When I find the TITAN bastards that took Agent Zacharius and Annie I’m gonna-”

“Eren.”

Mikasa’s reprimand, quiet but firm, was followed by silence.

Levi heaved a sigh because after twenty minutes of driving the kid had finally, _finally_ shut-up.

Levi, who’d somehow ended up driving the two younger agents around like a glorified parent (they’d both piled into the backseat and left him upfront to chauffeur their asses around), glanced into the rearview mirror in time to see the young woman press her hand over the back of Agent Jaeger’s knuckles, and squeeze.

His eyes snapped back to the road. He ground his teeth. This was _the last_ time he worked with rookies. When he finally found Mike he was going to give him absolute _hell_ for having the gall to disappear and leave Levi in charge of a bunch of hormonal teens.

“Let’s just keep focused on the mission. Alright?”

“Right, Agent – sir!” Agent Jaeger's reply was immediate – and an octave louder than civilized conversation required.

Agent Ackerman’s answer was slower. Her, “of course”, was delivered smooth and quiet, and was spoken with undeniable bite.

A glance in the rearview mirror showed that her hand had been removed from Jaeger’s. Eyes narrowed, she stared sullenly at the back of Levi’s head. Rolling his eyes, Levi turned back to the road. _God forbid he enforce basic mission decorum_. No matter your partner, a good agent kept personal feelings and relationships the hell _out of_ a mission. To do anything else was inviting trouble. _He’d_ never been caught holding hands with another agent while on the job.

A touch to the GPS navigation Mike kept mounted on the dash confirmed they were nearing the last known position of Mike’s cell. With a twist of the wheel Levi turned off the main road. Tires crunching over loose pavement, he pulled into a wide, empty parking lot. In the far corner of the lot, a dilapidated factory loomed.

 _Of fucking course_.

It was too much to ask for Mike’s phone to have pinged in the middle of a strip mall or some equally wholesome location. But no, they were going to have to search this shit hole. He could only hope the termite-ridden monstrosity wouldn’t collapse on top of them while they were in there.

“I can’t imagine either Agent Zacharius or Annie entering that place of their own volition” Agent Ackerman said from the backseat.

Levi couldn’t imagine it either. “Everyone brought their guns?”

His question was answered with two hurried nods.

“Right.” Levi threw the car into park. Several parking rows, their white painted lines faded by time and neglect, separated the car from the factory.  “Get them ready now.” He cut the engine.

From the back seat came the sound of shuffling preparation. Up front, Levi checked that his gun was fully loaded. After tucking the weapon within easy reach, his hand shifted over the straps that wound his chest, counting the extra magazines he carried with him.

Before they’d left, he’d told Eren and Mikasa that their first priority was finding Agents Zacharius and Leonhart. Finding their lost agents was, however, Levi’s second priority. His first was making sure the agents he’d brought along with him returned safely. He’d be damned if he lost two green agents on a retrieval mission.

“Ready?”

Again, two nods.

They exited the car, the two rookie agents a flurry of silent energy. As they approached the towering building, Levi directed them in a whisper. “We’ll look for a side entrance. I’ll enter first. Follow after. Cover me and keep your eyes open for any movement.”

While listening to his instruction, the younger agents followed dutifully behind. In the privacy of the abandoned lot, they’d already loosed their guns, and walked with the weapons in a two-handed grasp, held ready, low and angled at their sides.

“And for the love of god, don’t just shoot at anything that moves. Unless it’s attacking you, get a good look first. Agent Zacharius is a nice guy, but not even he would forgive you if you accidentally shot him.”

Behind him, Agent Jaeger replied in a mumble, “Can’t imagine Annie would either.”

They found an entrance near the back of the building. The metal doors were rusted and long planks, which looked to have once boarded the entryway, lay discarded several yards away. Hand on the door, Levi reached into his jacket. Gun ready, he gave the heavy doors a push.

Sullen hinges shrieked as the doors swung slowly in. The wide room, cluttered with stacks of abandoned wooden crates, was dim. Pale light filtered through the dust-clogged panes of the windows above.

Eyes trained on the dark, crowded space (there were far too many places for a potential enemy to hide), Levi gestured for the younger agents to follow.

Gun raised, he stepped slowly forward. Inching around the first mountain of crates, he readied his gun and pivoted around the blind corner. The space was empty.

A tentative beam of light lit the space between the towering mounds of crates. Specks of dust danced in the pale light, flickering in and out of existence as they drifted lazily down.

Levi readied his gun, preparing to continue past the next crate mound, when his pocket buzzed.

He hesitated. It was Hanji. It had to be. For her to be calling now, when she _knew_ he was on a delicate mission…whatever she had to say must be important.

Grimacing, he raised a hand, gesturing for Eren and Mikasa to stop. Switching to a single-handed grasp on his weapon, he fished the vibrating cell from his pocket.

The two younger agents shared a confused glance.

 _It had better be important._ Levi raised the phone to his ear.

“What is it?”

The voice that blared at his ear was loud – and laced with static. Levi guessed the factory’s metal walls were messing with the reception. He heard, “Levi… _Shhhshh_ …Where are you?”

“Just about to find Mike, before you-”

And then, “Levi! _Shhhhshhh_ it’s a… _Shhhshhhhshhh_ …you have to leave. _Now_ … _Shhshhhshh_ …”

“ _What?_ ”

Agent Leonhart, she’s a-”

The back of his neck prickled. His hairs stood on end.

Above, a shadow detached itself from one of the stacked crates.

Levi twisted, and the phone dropped, forgotten from his hands. Kicking out, he aimed a swinging strike at the backs of the younger agents' legs. As the first gunshots rang out, they toppled, falling backward into the nearest pile of crates.

Bullets splattered the area around them. Ducking, Levi returned fire. White-hot heat grazed his ear. Splinters exploded out as a bullet struck the decaying wood behind him.

Grimacing, Levi squinted up and fired off another round. It was followed by silence.

The attacking gunfire had cut off. He’d either hit the bastard or gotten too close for comfort. Either way, he wasn’t going to waste the time he’d earned them.

Keeping his gun trained on the last known location of their assailant, he side-stepped over crushed wood. “Get up,” he hissed.

Mikasa was already on her feet. Gun ready, she turned, surveying the surrounding shadows. Beneath her, Eren extracted himself from the smashed crates as quietly as he was able.

“We’re getting out of here. Hanji’s call was a warning.” Levi’s eyes rolled carefully over the nearby crate piles. An enemy could be waiting behind any one of them. “This was some kind of trap.”

As soon as Eren was up, Levi nodded to the left, _away_ from the way they’d come in. Their enemy (Enemies? In his experience, there was almost always more than one) could easily be waiting for them near the exit, expecting them to leave the same way they’d come in.

Sparing a moment to re-load his gun, Levi nodded again towards the left side of the factory, hoping the inexperienced agents would understand. They needed to find another way out.

He needn’t have worried. Both seemed to grasp the plan immediately. They even formed up behind him, adopting the classic “triangle formation” so as to cover as many angles of attack as a party of three possibly could. Impressed in spite of himself (they might be rookies, but he had to admit they at least had _some_ idea of what they were doing), Levi nodded his approval.

And then they were moving.

* * *

 

The leather wheel shivered beneath her hands, protesting as she took a hard right turn. As she accelerated out of it, the engine under the cherry-red hood purred.

In the back seat, Jean muttered, “I’m pretty sure that sign meant you were supposed to _stop._ ”

“Rules were made to be broken.” Hanji said, and pressed stubbornly on the gas. Another traffic sign flashed by.

According to GPS navigation, the route to Levi’s location was supposed to take twenty minutes. She was determined to make it in ten.

As she executed a tight turn, having only marginally slowed the sports car’s speed, Armin threw a hand out, bracing against the dash as the car shuddered, tires squealing over pavement. Blowing a wayward strand of blond hair from his face, Armin spoke, “We’re two minutes from location.”

“Good. In all likelihood, Levi, Eren, and Mikasa are currently under attack. Before the call cut off, I heard the distinct sound of gunfire.” Hanjii glanced up from the road. “Are you both prepared for conflict?”

From the back of the car sounded the metallic click of a cocked weapon. “More than ready.”

Armin looked back, worried. “Jean…you’re.” He hesitated. “Emotionally…you’re emotionally compromised.”

“If by that you mean I’m pissed…Yeah, I’m pretty fucking pissed.” Jean shifted in the back seat, restless. “I hope Annie’s there.”

Armin was pale.

Hanji’s eyes flicked up to the rear-view mirror. She was no stranger to anger. When she was younger, closer to Jean’s age, for a while at least, it had been one of her primary motivators. When utilized correctly, anger could give you strength. But left unchecked, it could just as easily consume you.

“Jean.” At Hanji’s voice, the boy in the back looked up. “I understand the need for revenge. I really do.” Pressing hard on the gas, she sped over a stretch of straight highway. “If Annie did what we suspect…her actions are unforgiveable. But our first goal must be ensuring the safety of our comrades. You _cannot_ let Annie distract from that.” Hanji’s gaze flicked back to the mirror. Jean’s knuckles were white where he gripped his gun. His gaze was focused on his lap.

“Got it?”

The grip on the gun loosened. Curling his lips, Jean looked out the window. The glow of passing streetlamps flashed through the glass, lighting his frowning face in half-second intervals.

Finally, “I understand.”

Armin sagged.

Sympathetic, Hanji gave Armin’s shoulder a reassuring pat. The poor kid was obviously having a hard time of it. It was clear he felt some level of guilt over being the one to accuse Annie, his comrade and friend, of such heinous deceit. But he, like Jean, must still grieve Marco’s death. After all, the freckle-faced agent wasn’t long passed. And on top of it all, Jean craved revenge. Did Armin worry about Jean endangering himself in his anger, or did he fear what Jean might do to their one-time friend Annie?

Unfortunately, the time for worrying about these matters would have to be later. They were almost at the GPS coordinates and Hanji needed to know that Armin could focus on the danger at hand. She, like Levi (damn him) so very much liked to point out, wasn’t field trained. If they were going to be any help to Levi, Eren, and Mikasa, she needed both Jean and Armin calm and completely focused on the present threat.

“Armin. Whatever we may encounter at the coordinates that lie ahead…will you be ready to face it?”

Silence. The fidgets in the back seat finally stilled. _That_ had gotten the attention of her angry back-seat passenger. Good.

Armin looked at his hands. After a moment, he blinked long and slow. When his eyes opened, something in his expression had hardened. He nodded, shoulders stiff. “I’m ready.”

“Good. We’re here.”

Hanji hadn’t slowed, even as they neared their destination. The parking lot opened up before them and the car’s low underside scraped as they bounced up and over the low curb. Straight ahead, a dark factory waited. From one of its high windows, yellow light flashed. Gunfire.

The factory grew in size as they sped over cracked asphalt. There was another car parked several yards from the factory. Mike’s – the one Levi had driven.

Hanji sped past it. She was aiming for the front door.

Near the factory’s wall, there was movement. A flash, bright as lighting flickered directly in front of them. The windshield cracked as something whistled between she and Armin. It imbedded, with a heavy _thwack_ , in the leather of the backseat.

Armin, for all Levi liked to call him a rookie, identified the projectile well before she. With a garbled shout that sounded something like “ _gun!_ ” he surged forward. Grabbing for the wheel, he yanked sharply left.

Tires screamed as the sports car, turning too fast, slid over asphalt. Despite the squealing rubber, she heard the next series of pops. She ducked as the car’s right side windows shattered under the second spray of bullets.

With Armin’s hand still pressed against the wheel, the car continued turning, spinning in a circle. Trying to time it so the back of the car would be facing the assailant, Hanji slammed the breaks. Her seatbelt dug painfully into her chest as the car jerked to a stop.

The air was ripe with the smell of burning rubber. Groaning, Hanji lifted her head and _oh -_ she’d gravely mistimed the stop.

The mystery assailant stood before them, gun raised.

Jean threw open his door, as Armin ducked down, reaching for the door handle. As a new splatter of bullets rained through the front windshield, the younger agents rolled out of the car, shielding themselves behind the open doors.

Before the next barrage could begin, Jean whipped around the open rear door and fired off a round of shots. A moment later Armin edged around the edge of his door and fired his own answering shot.

Slouching low in the seat, Hanji readied the gun she’d taken from the pastor. Speaking of-

Pastor Nick, hands over his head, huddled low in the backseat. His lips moved, silent; whether in a prayer or a curse, she couldn’t tell.

“Bastard’s running back towards the factory!” Jean shouted. Re-loading his gun, he took off towards the factory at a run.

Armin, more cautious, squinted, trying to get a good look at the dark surroundings. “They want to lure us back into the factory…But if we want to help Levi and the others, that’s where we’ll have to go anyway.” Frowning, he looked to her for confirmation.

Right. He was right. Shaking her head, Hanji flicked the gun’s safety off. This wasn’t the first time she’d been shot at. Hell, she and Levi been under fire their first day on this job. She might not be a field trained agent, but right now she had a job to do. Levi and the rookies’ lives might very well depend on it.

“You’re right. We have to go. Follow Jean.” Hanji threw open her door. As she climbed from the car, she called over her shoulder. “Stay low Pastor! We’ll be back for you!”

Hands sweaty, she readjusted her grip on the unfamiliar weapon as she followed Armin toward the factory. The harsh clap of gunfire echoed ominously up ahead.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you buckle your seat belt last chapter? Okay, well tighten it. Shit's going down.

She was going to die; probably because she hadn’t taken the god damn firearms training Levi was so hung up on.

The gunfire that echoed from within the building was cacophonously loud. At the front of the factory a rusted, rolled metal sheet had been lifted, leaving the entryway clear. Outside, his back pressed against the wall, Jean waited.

Armin flattened himself against the wall on the opposite side of the door.

“We go in together!” Jean said, voice pitched low. “And we stay together! Otherwise we’ll risk shooting each other in the confusion.”

As Armin double checked his gun, he spoke to her in a whisper. “You’ve never done anything like this before?”

“Ah…unfortunately, no. Not really.”

Holding his weapon carefully at his side, he reached over, inspecting her stolen gun with a gentle hand. “Good. The safety’s off. And it looks like you have ten shots left. Do you have anything to re-load it with?”

She shook her head.

“That’s alright. Only shoot if you absolutely have to then.” Armin pressed the gun back into her hands. “You could still wait in the car…?”

She could.

In fact, she was probably an idiot for even contemplating entering this building with a gun she wasn’t sure she was ready to fire. But Levi was in danger. Eren and Mikasa were in danger. And she’d sent them to the coordinates that had put them there.

On missions such as this, there would always be variables that defied prediction. But she should have been able to predict at least _something_ of the trap she’d unwittingly sent them to. If she’d just done more research. Studied the files in more detail. Armin noticed the discrepancy with Annie’s gun. Maybe if she’d studied everything further, _more carefully_ , she would have found something too.

She might be absolute shit with a gun. And would probably be able to do very little to aid in the fight against the enemy. But the presence of another body entering the fray would give Levi’s attackers one more thing to think about. If she could keep moving, avoid getting shot, she would at least be a distraction.

“I’ll follow you and Jean. Don’t slow down for me. Do exactly as you were trained to do in this type of situation.”

On the other side of the entryway, Jean gave a quick nod. He readied his gun, preparing to enter.

“Armin. If something should happen to me, I need you to take responsibility for the file I’ve compiled on TITAN. There is the hardcopy I left with Sasha, but I have multiple memory sticks with copies of all the data. I wear one as a necklace and I slipped one in Levi’s bags-”

“Let’s go!” Jean said, low.

“Promise me, Armin.”

Wide-eyed, Armin looked between her and the door.

Finally, “Alright.”

Promise made, the younger agent flicked the safety off his gun. Pale with puckered, nervous lips, he looked like he’d swallowed a slug.

Pledging to take responsibility for the research on the TITAN project was no small promise. Though if everything went well in the warehouse, Armin wouldn’t have to.

“Good.” With a light push, she commanded, “Follow Jean.”

Armin pivoted into the building. Lifting her gun, Hanji followed. Upon crossing the threshold, the cold metal seemed to weigh heavier in her hands.

The factory was dark. Dirty windows nestled at the building’s apex did little to light the vast space. Towers of crates, many leaning perilously over narrow pathways, cluttered the room and reduced visibility to nearly nothing.

Gunfire popped, sporadic in the cavernous space. Every shot echoed, and the thunderous noise bounced off walls and between stacked crates, making it impossible to pinpoint the source of the noise.

Hunched (likely a technique to make himself a smaller target), Jean crossed the open space in smooth, hurried steps. Armin followed several feet behind.

Hanji attempted to mirror their fast, smooth steps and hunched posture as she followed after them. As she caught up, Jean glanced back – then glanced back again, looking at her, incredulous. Apparently the mimicry wasn’t as seamless as she’d thought.

“Just try to stay low. Leave the fancy footwork to us.”

“Got it.”

Jean rounded the next pile of crates. Armin followed after. And then Hanji.

Jean was navigating a narrow path between two large, listing mounds of crates when a crack sounded shrill and severe in the confined space. A crate inches from Armin’s head exploded in a shower of splinters and wood.

Jean and Armin’s answering movement was instantaneous. Both agents threw themselves to the side, taking shelter on opposite sides of the narrow walkway. As another bullet whistled past, Hanji ducked behind a double-stacked crate.

Answering gunshots popped nearby. Jean and Armin returning fire.

Pushing her glasses higher on the bridge of her nose, Hanji peered over the top of the crate.

Armin ducked back, pressing himself flat against the wall of wood as Jean pivoted around his corner, picking up where Armin left off.

_But where was the enemy?_

Hanji squinted, trying to distinguish their attacker from the surrounding darkness.

A sharp whistle and –   _thwack_.

The corner of the crate she was hiding behind was gone, blown clean away. Hanji dropped down as the wood behind her exploded in a volley of pattering thuds.

“Research Sci –  Hanji!” Armin called, sharp and concerned. “Fall back! Find better cover!”

That, she could do. Hanji cringed as a stray bullet whistled past, burying itself in a crate several inches from her head. On her hands and knees, with Pastor Nick’s gun braced awkwardly against her palm, Hanji crawled over cold concrete. When a bullet thudded into a nearby plank of wood, she swore and shuffled faster.

With elbows scraping and shoe-tips digging into concrete, she scrambled around the nearest corner. Behind her, the gunshots resumed, a series of back and forth volleys. But here, at least, they wouldn’t reach her.

Concerned for the younger agents, Hanji peeked around the corner – and jerked back as her nose was nearly taken off by a stray bullet.

Hand on the tip of her almost-lost nose, Hanji scooted back. Armin and Jean were clearly more capable at handling this than she. But _maybe_ …

Standing, Hanji looked up, surveying the perilously stacked crates. The mountains of wood seemed to have been dropped with little rhyme nor reason, creating a variable labyrinth in the warehouse. If she could find the right path, and manage to circle around Jean and Armin’s fight, she might be able to attack their enemy from behind. Or perhaps…Hanji took another look at the leaning piles of wood…from above. A few crates falling from that height could certainly do some damage.

Gun raised, she pressed forward. All the while gunfire continued, relentless. With at least two separate battles taking place, it was nearly impossible to determine from where any of the cracking shots had originated, much less whether the shooter was friend or foe.

Jean was right. In such chaos, friend could easily be mistaken for enemy, and enemy for friend.

Switching to a one-handed grasp of the weapon, Hanji rubbed a sweaty palm against her pants. The last thing she needed was for the gun to go slipping through her sweaty fingers should she need to fire it.

Beside her, shadows shifted.

She spun, fingers fumbling to re-grip the gun.

All was still.

Holding her breath, she pivoted slowly. The darkness betrayed nothing. Hanji swallowed. Her mouth had gone dry.

Not daring to blink, she stepped back. And back again. On her third step, she tripped over the body.

With a muted squeak she dropped, landing hard on the warehouse floor.

Tailbone throbbing, Hanji sat up, thrusting the gun in the direction from which she’d come.

The darkness remained still.

Sucking in slow, careful breaths, Hanji finally lowered the gun. When she looked down she forgot to breathe.

Shaggy, sandy-blond hair was washed out in the dim light. Where he lay, bound, upon the floor, Mike’s hair looked almost white.

“ _Mike!_ ” Heart in her throat, she scrambled to him. He looked pale, but it could be a trick of the light. Long, meandering lines trailed down the side of his face, from his hairline to his chin. Dried blood.

“ _Mike. Mike. Hey. Come on buddy,”_ Hanji whispered, straining to keep her voice low. Shaking palms cupped his face as searching fingers pressed the skin beneath his jaw.

A slow, even rhythm pulsed lightly beneath his skin.

She sagged. Closing her eyes, she remembered to breathe.

Mike was okay. With the evidence of that fact, laying beaten, but nonetheless alive, at her feet, one major worry was assuaged.

But she couldn’t leave him here. And there was no way she would be able to shoulder his two-hundred pound body out of the warehouse alone.

Amidst the cavernous warehouse, the gunfire continued uninterrupted. Jean and Armin were still in danger. And while the fate of Levi, Eren, and Mikasa was yet unknown, she could only assume they were facing a danger just as great, if not greater.

Rising to her knees, she sliced away his bonds.

First, she needed to wake him up. If he was conscious and had a gun, he could defend himself – at least long enough for her to find the others and get help.

She shook his shoulder.

“ _Mike._ ” She said, singing his name in a soothing whisper. “Come on big guy. It’s time to wake up.”

Nothing.

Bending over him, she grabbed both shoulders and shook him hard.

Still nothing.

Out of options and time, she braced a hand on his chest. Winding her other hand back, she swung down. As the slap rang out, Hanji could only hope she hadn’t exacerbated what was surely an already existing concussion.

The silence that followed was answered with a low groan. Nose wrinkling, his lips screwed up as consciousness gradually returned to him. Mike squinted, lids creasing and brows pressing down, before he blinked, once, twice, and then he was staring up.

“Zoe?”

“Welcome back Mr. Zacharius.”

He blinked again. And then blanched. “Leonhart! She’s a-” Mike rolled up – and immediately flopped back.

Diving forward, Hanji saved his head from taking another hit. “A double agent. We know.”

“Where are we?”

“A warehouse on the outskirts of town. We tracked your phone here. We’ve since discovered it was a trap.”

Mike nodded and then winced in pain. “Ah – I hear gunfire. Who do we have out there?”

“Levi, Mikasa, Eren, Armin, and Jean.”

He lifted a brow at the list.

“Your rescue party ended up needing a rescue party. Now sit up. You’ll need to be able to defend yourself while I find the others.”

Arms around his torso, she worked to lever him up into a seated position. Swaying and unsteady, Mike was little help. Cursing, she huffed against the top of his head, “Aren’t you supposed to the second best agent we have? _Come on Mike, you’ve got to sit up._ ”

Finally upright, Mike frowned, protesting weakly, “Why does everyone keep saying that? It wasn’t like there was some official test.”

Ignoring his complaints, she squeezed his shoulder. “If I leave you with my gun, you’ll be able to defend yourself?”

“Wait, what will you have?”

“I’ll be fine.”

“Zoe-”

“I’ll be fine.” She pressed the gun into his hands. “Sitting here, you’re a target. You need to be able to defend yourself. And I need to find Levi.”

Reluctant fingers closed over the weapon.

“You have about ten shots. Use it sparingly.”

He nodded, grim. “Be careful.”

“You too.”

She left, hands feeling uncomfortably empty. Flexing her fingers, she skirted a particularly perilously stacked pile of crates.

Tiptoeing through dim pathways, she walked for one minute. Two. The gunfire was getting louder. Whether she was nearing Armin and Jean or Levi, Eren, and Mikasa, she couldn’t be sure. In the midst of the maze of crates, she’d managed to lose her way.

With every turn she drew closer to the heated firefight. When it seemed as though less than a few walls of crates might separate her from the action, Hanji hesitated. It was risky to go in blind. She could turn any corner and find herself directly in the line of fire.

Hands on her hips, she studied the piled crates nearby. If they were sturdy enough – hadn’t been unduly weathered by decay – she might be able to climb them, get a better vantage point on the fighting taking place nearby.

Resolved to give it a try, she braced a hand on the splintered wood. She was searching for a good foot-hold when she heard the click.

It wasn’t a noise she’d been unduly familiar with as a research agent, but after only a few days in the field, the sound of a cocked gun was one she’d come to know reasonably well.

“Don’t move.”

The voice sounded surprisingly young. She’d heard it before. In the hotel room, after the attack.

Ignoring the order, Hanji turned. “Agent Leonhart. So nice of you to stick around.”

Several yards back Annie Leonhart stood. The agent’s small, steady hands held Hanji at gunpoint.

“I said don’t move,” she said without inflection – without expression.

Hanji lifted her hands in a placating gesture. “Okay.”

Annie stared at her a moment before her eyes flicked away. Looking. For something – or someone.

Despite adrenaline running rampant through her body, Hanji attempted to keep her voice mellow, calm. “Are you going to shoot me, Agent Leonhart?”

Annie’s steely gaze abruptly returned to her, though she didn’t immediately answer.

Ignoring her racing heart, Hanji forced her brain to _think_. Agent Leonhart could have killed her five times over. Why hadn’t she? Did she have orders to keep them alive? Or perhaps this was a rushed operation and she didn’t know exactly what she was supposed to do with the trapped agents.

Hanji stared, locking eyes with the somber woman.

Perhaps it was a personal struggle. The life of a double agent couldn’t be easy. It would take great skill to convincingly play the part of friend and ally. Perhaps Agent Leonhart had gotten lost in her part.

“Agent Leonhart,” Hanji said, starting slow. “Can I call you Annie?”

Stony-faced, she made no answer.

Hanji continued undeterred. “Annie. I don’t think you want to kill me. I don’t think you wanted to kill Mike either.” Hanji watched her, searching for any betrayal of emotion. “That’s why he’s still alive, right? It would have been simpler to just get rid of him. All you needed was his phone to spring this trap. Why leave him tied up?”

Annie glanced away. Avoiding her eyes.

Hands still raised, Hanji took a careful step forward.

The gun jerked to attention. Annie hissed, “ _I said don’t move.”_ Lips curled, her eyes flashed dangerous, feral. Like a cornered animal.

Hanji’s heart picked up anew. Breathing slow, she closed her eyes and forced calm. “It can’t have been easy being a double agent.”

“Stop talking. I know what you’re doing.”

“Just chatting.” She flashed her best disarming smile. “In the lab I mentor younger agents all the time. I can usually tell when something’s bothering them. It’s obvious something’s bothering you now.”

Annie blinked. “We are in the middle of an extended gun fight.”

“You’re hurting, Annie. I barely know you and I can see it.” Hanji took another small step. “You don’t want to harm anyone, do you? Do you want to do any of this?”

Annie pressed her lips together. She shook her head, blinking fast. “I’m doing exactly what I want to be doing.”

“Are you sure?” Another step. “What about Marco? Did you want to hurt him? Kill him? Did you mean to do it?”

A violent flinch. Eyes flashing, Annie leveled the gun at her chest. “ _Don’t say his name._ ”

Hanji breathed.

In. Out.

“You don’t have to hurt anyone else Annie. Let us help you.”

Annie’s fingers trembled. The gun had begun to shake.

“You don’t understand.” Annie’s eyes were wide. Her chest rose and fell beneath stuttered breaths. “It’s not about _you_ or _me._ It’s bigger than us. _I have to play my part!_ ”

“Annie. It’s okay,” Hanji said, as soothing as she was able. Annie was getting excited. And excited people rarely made sound decisions involving guns.

“Marco died because _he had to._ ” Annie panted. “And you are going to die, because _you have to!_ They gave me a job. To make sure nothing disrupts the transmission of the codes. _I will not fail_.”

Annie blinked slow. She took a breath and pointed the gun at Hanji’s head.

“Annie! Stop!”

Armin’s voice cut between them like a blade.

Annie jolted. Turning her head, she went white.

Armin faced her, gun raised towards her. Beside him, Jean mirrored his pose.

Armin watched his former friend and ally with wide, unblinking eyes. When he spoke, his lips betrayed a slight tremble. “Drop the gun Annie! I don’t want to shoot you – but I will.”

Jean sneered. “I do want to shoot you. Really fucking bad, actually. But Armin here wants to bring you in. You’re lucky my respect for him is _slightly_ greater than my desire to shoot you. But if you shoot our scientist here, the scale’s gonna tip. So what’ll it be? You want to live or die?”

The gun in Annie’s hands trembled. She looked from Hanji, to Jean, and finally to Armin.

And then she ran.

Ducking around a nearby wall of crates, she disappeared as the first gunshots rang out.

Shoes slapping concrete, Armin and Jean raced after. Jean barreled around the corner while Armin hesitated, glancing toward her. “Hanji, are you-”

“I’m fine. Go! We need her!”

A quick nod and Armin was off.

Falling back, Hanji collapsed against the nearest crate. After the nerve-fraying experience her body felt spent. Used.

But they weren’t done. Not yet.

_She had to find Levi._

Twisting, she reached for a handhold. Tapping into a previously unknown reserve of energy, Hanji began to climb. She needed to see.

Dilapidated wood creaked and moaned as she made her ascent. As she neared peak of the towering mounds she began to regret her plan, in part, because the unstable mass of crates and boxes had begun to sway.

Panting, Hanji clung to a creaking crate and peered over the top.

Below was an open area of warehouse littered with fallen crates. The crowded space flashed with the bright, stuttering light of gunfire.

By now, however, the rate of shooting had slowed. Surely, after all this time, their stock of bullets must be running low. Adjusting her glasses, Hanji squinted, straining to distinguish friend and foe.

At the center, two shapes huddled behind a barricade of wood. As she watched, the lankier of the two fired a shot and ducked down as his partner rose to follow up with two more rapid shots.

Eren and Mikasa. It had to be.

Separated from them, a shorter figure was pinned in a corner, taking fire from both sides.

Levi.

Hanji was already moving. Gingerly picking her way over decaying wood, she cut a path towards Eren and Mikasa – or more specifically, their attackers. She couldn’t help Levi. He was too far. But the TITAN agents firing upon Eren and Mikasa were camped out directly below a perilously stacked wall of wood. If they were eliminated, Eren and Mikasa would be free to give Levi the backup he needed.

When she was directly above the TITAN agents, Hanji paused, surveying the structure beneath her. She’d have to choose carefully. She couldn’t afford to miss. Furthermore, if she pushed the wrong crate, or it fell badly, she risked compromising the structural integrity of the entire wall.

Unfortunately there wasn’t time to truly figure out the physics of it, so Hanji settled for an educated guess. Maybe just a guess.

Kneeling behind a particularly perilously placed crate, Hanji pressed her shoulder against the wood. Bracing her hands on either side, she pushed. Countless splinters that she’d accrued in her climb stung, pinching her skin, as the box reluctantly scraped forward. Clenching her jaw, Hanji braced a foot on a nearby crate and _heaved._

The crate swayed and with a capitulating groan, tipped over the edge.

A breath of silence and then it hit with a crash and the dull roar of splitting wood. Breathless, Hanji peered over the edge.

The agents, half-buried beneath the wreckage, were still.

“Yes!”

A second breath of silence, and then, “Erm, Hanji? Is that you?”

From Eren and Mikasa’s hideout, a head poked up before being forcefully shoved back down.

“It’s me! The TITAN agents over here are out for the count. Help Levi!”

They didn’t need to be told twice. Two shadows rose and disappeared into the darkness. Seconds later, a series of shots rang out.

Clutching splintered wood, Hanji began a slow climb back down. By the time she reached the floor, all gunfire had ceased. Eren and Mikasa must have gotten to the agents pinning Levi down.

She hoped they’d gotten to the agents.

Hanji surveyed the wreck that was the remains of the fallen crate. It had been housing slabs of granite. Shards of stone littered the floor and a fine white powder dusted the rubble. Three agents lay motionless amongst the debris. Blood, thick and dark, spread slowly over concrete, mingling with the wreckage.

Kneeling down, she looked for signs of life. But the sheer amount of red should have been a clue. Under the weight of the granite, the agents had been crushed. All three were dead.

Hanji stared at the corpses, waiting for it to sink in. Whether or not it was justified (these were TITAN agents, and they’d been bent on killing her team), she had taken a life. Three lives. And shouldn’t that make her feel sad, or angry, or scared? Or something? She should definitely feel something.

But looking at the bodies of the agents, Hanji only felt tired.

Eventually she heard voices.

“She’s _here?_ ”

Levi.

Good. They’d gotten to him in time.

“She didn’t come alone.” Eren. The poor kid sounded exhausted. “Mikasa ran into Jean and Armin. Gave her an awful shock. She almost shot Jean’s head off. They had been after Annie? Apparently she got away.”

“Damn.”

The approaching footsteps halted. Then they sped.

“Four-Eyes?”

Hanji listened to the steps. They tapped, urgent.

And then Levi was there, on his knees beside her. Warm, insistent hands braced her shoulders. He turned her towards him. “Hanji?”

She should make a witty retort. Something to lighten the mood. But for the life of her, she couldn’t think of anything good to say. Her thoughts wandered, useless and unhelpful.

 _Do you know the blunt force required to kill a person? Now_ I _do._ Or _Do you think the blood I’m sitting will wash out of my clothes?_ weren’t considered suitable topics of conversation and certainly wouldn’t lighten anyone’s mood.

When she didn’t immediately answer, the fingers at her shoulders tightened. His expression turned sharp, anxious. “You’re hurt. Where?”

In the dim light, he could likely see her little better than she could see him. Warm hands slid from her shoulders, patting her stomach and sides. Belatedly she realized he was feeling for blood.

“Jeager! Bring me a goddamn light!”

His voice was strained, uneven and – oh! The proverbial lightbulb, which had been undergoing what she could only assume were stress-induced technical difficulties, at long last flickered on.

Levi was worried. About her.

In the dark she found his arms, and squeezed. “It’s okay. I’m okay.” A shaky breath forcefully evacuated her lungs as she said, “Managed to dodge all the bullets,” with an even shakier smile.

“I just…” She glanced at the bodies of the TITAN agents.

Levi followed her gaze.

“I just needed a moment to process. I think I’m better now.”

Levi cleared his throat. It was an awkward sound. “It doesn’t get easier. But you do get better at…processing.”

They sat together, quiet, for a long moment. Until Levi realized his hands were still on her abdomen and waist. They jerked back, as if stung.

In the silence that followed, Levi’s hands shifted to his shoulder holsters, checking that everything was in place.

When he looked down, she noticed the line of red that curved down his neck, towards his chin. Extending a finger, she gingerly touched the trail of dried blood. Slowly, carefully, she traced her finger up, following the curving path. He stiffened under her touch.

At his ear, her finger stalled. A small piece of flesh had been nicked from his cartilage. Here, the blood was still damp. She retracted her hand.

“Someone very nearly got you there.”

“Very nearly,” he agreed, quiet.

“Agent Ackerman?”

Hanji jumped at the intrusion, and was only somewhat mollified to note that Levi had also given a start.

Eren continued, “Armin’s with Agent Zacharius. He and Mikasa are helping him out of the warehouse.”

Levi stood. “Good. Get him to the car. The sooner we get to a secure location the better.”

He held out a hand.

Rolling up on her knees, she grabbed it and with a sturdy pull, was lifted to her feet.

“What now?”

“First we need to regroup. And I need to know fucking exactly what’s going on with Agent Leonhart.”

“We don’t know everything. Not yet. But I’ll give you the details on the way.”

Levi nodded, satisfied. “You can go ahead to the car if you want, see how Zacharius is doing. I need to see if I can find anything about these TITAN agents. I’m going to search their-” he looked at her and hesitated at the word.

“Bodies,” she said, finishing for him. “You can say it. I’ll be fine. I can live with what I’ve done.”

“I know.”

He hadn’t been attempting to soften the blow out of necessity, then. He was simply being kind.

That knowledge coaxed from her a small smile.

Outside, she checked on Mike and was pleased to note his symptoms hadn’t worsened. Five minutes later, Levi joined them. And together, they left for safe house number two.

To regroup and to plan. When to make a move on stealing back the code. And what to do about double agent Annie Leonhart.

They had much to consider.


	13. Chapter 13

People were terrifyingly fragile. It was a hard truth; one he’d discovered as a rookie. And as is the case with most truths, it liked to remind.

Her palm was a mosaic. Scrapes and splinters crisscrossed her skin.

As an injury, it wasn’t terrible.

But it was a reminder.

To her credit, Hanji seemed to barely notice what had to be painful lesions bisecting her palms. Her focus was elsewhere. On the rookie agents rattling off geographic coordinates. On the multiple drone cams broadcasted over an array of screens.

Their man had made his move. He’d done it when the younger agents were moving to the backup base. When Levi and the others were battling the TITAN agents – and Annie – as they fought to rescue Mike from the warehouse.

It had been a trap, yes. But it masked a larger move entirely. In the thirty minutes of chaos, for five, the monitors had been switched off while they were moved. In that time, the TITAN agent with the launch codes had disappeared _._

And it didn’t make any fucking _sense_. It was a brilliantly coordinate move on TITAN’s part, without a doubt. But it shouldn’t have worked. They couldn’t have known when he and the others would leave in search of Mike and Annie. And there was no way they should have been able to so perfectly time their code-carrier’s leaving with the five minute gap in surveillance.

The way Levi saw it, the effortlessly executed maneuver meant one of two things. Somehow, they’d been bugged. Or…Annie hadn’t been the only double agent in their company.

With these disturbing thoughts circling his head, he leaned forward. A pair of tweezers was braced between his forefinger and thumb. Cupping Hanji’s upturned palm, he turned it to better face the light.

When they’d returned, Sasha had offered to tend their scientist’s wounds. But Levi knew he could do it faster. Make it less painful. He had experience enough plucking shrapnel from skin.

And so, pinching the splinters, he yanked them up, dragging them swiftly from her palms. All the while, he listened, paying careful attention to the details delivered in rushed, worried voices around him.

They were searching the city from scratch. Using a combination of satellites and drones, they were doing a visual sweep of the surrounding area. Starting with the neighborhoods bordering the one from which he’d disappeared.

If the code-carrier was running, it wouldn’t be long before he passed off the codes. And if they failed to intercept the launch codes here, now, there was a very real concern that they might lose track of them forever.

Mike, his head wound freshly wrapped, reclined nearby. Holding a hand to his forehead, he called out commands, directing the search. Every few minutes he’d try to rise. Rambling apologies, Sasha would push him back down. The head wound, while not as bad as it could have been, had left him dizzy. When he’d gotten out of the car, he’d nearly fallen twice. It had taken Eren, Mikasa, and Jean’s combined strength to halt both falls and maneuver his bulky figure into the new safe house.

Armin, typing furious instructions to one of the drones, talked as he worked. “We’ve found no sign of him in the nearby neighborhoods. But we can’t be sure that he’s _not_ in any of the locations we’ve swept. He could have easily ducked into a shop, or house, or hotel,” He sighed, frustrated, “Or anywhere really. It’s like trying to find a needle in a haystack, while blindfolded and with our hands tied behind our backs. This city’s too big and we’re running out of time.”

Connie poked Pastor Nick’s arm. “You sure you don’t know where he might have gone?”

In the chaos, the Pastor had been stuck in the corner, where he would be out of the way – and hopefully not witness to any sensitive information which might happen to flash over the screens.

“As I said before, I was not privy to any information regarding this alleged plot.” The pastor nervously folded his hands in his lap. “I can understand why they would have kept it from me.”

“If we assume he was camped out here waiting for the rendezvous time,” Mikasa mused, “and he’s only moving because he got wind of our surveillance. It’s probably too late to change the location of the drop. He might still be in the city.”

Hanji leapt to her feet.

“Oi!” Levi jerked the tweezers back, barely avoiding jabbing the tool’s sharp points into her skin.

“That’s it!” Leaping over hastily deposited equipment, Hanji sang, “Mikasa, you brilliant girl!”

Mikasa ducked her head, cheeks reddening at the praise.

“Armin!” Hanji slapped her hands on the desk. “What is our level of access to local databases?”

The typing stalled. Armin turned a look over his shoulder. “Such as?”

“Traffic cameras.”

“Oh-” Armin was once more furiously typing. He groaned. “We don’t have access.”

“Not yet we don’t.” Mike spoke up from the back. “Let me make a few calls. I’ll see what I can get us.”

Three calls later, Mike was rising from his seat, purposefully ignoring the loud protests that followed in his wake. Ambling unsteadily through the cramped room, he made a beeline for the wall of screens. Bracing a large hand on the back of Armin’s chair, Mike leaned over the younger agent, and with one hand, typed a lengthy code onto the waiting board.

Holding a hand to his head, Mike straightened. “We’re in.”

Hanji punched at the air. Pushing Mike out of the way, she pressed in behind Armin’s chair.

Pocketing the tweezers, Levi approached the wall of screens.

He watched, peering over Arlert’s other shoulder, as he clicked through a number of folders. Hanji, pushing closer, pointed at the screen, directing the search.

She sucked her lip between her teeth. “No, no, no,” she muttered. “Go to the next folder. Try the one on that side street. There.”

The room felt heavy. Anxious and silent, the agents waited, watching as grainy photos flashed over the screen.

Hanji tensed. Grabbing Armin’s shoulder, she jabbed a finger at the screen. “There! There! Go back one.”

As Armin clicked back, a picture of a white, non-descript van filled the monitor. Though the image was pixelated and grainy, the driver was unmistakable. It was the TITAN agent who carried the codes.

Grabbing for a nearby chair, Hanji dropped in front of the computers. After commandeering a stray keyboard, her fingers took off, pounding over the keys. As she worked, she spoke quietly, muttering under her breath. Whether it was for their benefit, or she was simply thinking aloud, he couldn’t tell.

“We have a license plate. And a general direction of travel,” she said as she clicked through an agency database that Levi didn’t recognize.

The glowing screens reflected in her oval glasses. Brows drawn together, she pressed her lips flat. Long fingers moved, dancing over the keyboard with an uncanny precision. She was the picture of focus.

Watching her work, it was impossible not to marvel at the brain-power housed beneath that thick, messy head of hair. As her eyes flicked back and forth, rapidly reading and processing long lines of information, it was obvious that Hanji Zoe was an asset to the organization. One, he had to admit, might be without parallel.

And her hands, which worked so diligently upon the keyboard, were full of splinters.

“We’ll focus our search in this quadrant of the city,” Hanji said, looking to Armin. “Redirect the drones. I’ll key in the satellites.” And then she looked up, seeking Levi’s gaze. “You think we should send anyone to search on foot?”

Levi observed the room.

Agent Sasha Blouse sat, legs folded beneath her, as she watched the frantic search with rapt attention. Nearby, agent Braun was hunched over his gun, making a routine check of the weapon. Agent Springer dutifully sat beside Pastor Nick, alternatively watching his charge and the screens that flashed upon the wall. Eren and Mikasa watched Armin work while Jean, sitting apart from the rest, stewed in a corner. The perpetually nervous looking one, Bertolt, watched Jean’s restlessly tapping foot out of the corner of his eye.

If TITAN had managed to sneak Leonhart in amidst his agents, it was possible they had managed to smuggle in another.

Hanji was clearly of the same opinion. On the car ride back, she had told him that she’d made a call to her team, asked them to begin vetting the rest of the agents in the field. But it would take time. Until Hanji’s team cleared the eight remaining rookie agents, Levi was going to act under the assumption that there was still a traitor amongst them.

Even though it would be difficult to track down the carrier and the codes without agents on the ground, the possibility of a rogue agent made sending them out – alone or in teams – too risky. He didn’t want another situation like Mike’s – or worse. Nor was he prepared to risk the compromised agent sneaking away to warn TITAN that they were once more honing in on the carrier and his codes. No, Levi needed all eight agents to remain where he could keep an eye on them.

“No. We’re all staying here.”

Hanji looked over her shoulder. “It’s a gamble either way.” 

He hadn’t said a word of his thoughts, but she’d understood them regardless.

Bracing his hands on the back of her chair, he sighed. “Yeah.”

She turned back to the screen. “I won’t rest until I find him.”

“You need to. Rest.” How long had it been since they’d last slept? With all that had happened, the previous morning seemed a lifetime ago.

“It’s almost three. That means we’re going on about twenty hours now. I’ve worked for much longer.”

Levi shook his head. “Tucked away in your lab maybe. Out here it’s different.” Hell, he didn’t trust _himself_ to be a sharp as he needed to be at this point. If they were going to be facing down more TITAN agents in the near future – not to mention investigating their own team – he was going to need to get at least a few hours rest.

“Levi’s right, Hanji. You’re gonna need to have your wits about you. It just takes a second of distraction and, well, look at me.” Grimacing, Mike gestured to his bandages. “Ten years in the field and I didn’t even see the blow coming.”

“Mikasa can help me with the search,” Armin piped in. “She’s very detail oriented. You and Agent Ackerman should rest. Once we find this guy, I assume you two will be going out after him.”

Hanji bit her lip. She wasn’t immune to reason. “Give me an hour,” she bargained. “We need to further narrow the search radius.”

Levi looked to Mike. Zacharius shrugged.

Leaving Hanji and Armin to their search, Levi found his way to the back of the room. He pushed a box aside and stripped his jacket. Balling it into a rudimentary pillow, he reclined back. He’d slept on worse. Before he closed his eyes, he lifted his wrist and set his watch for an hour.

He closed his eyes and awoke, what felt like seconds later, to an incessant beeping. His wrist.

Levi cracked an eye open.

The room was still. Half of the agents leaned in various angles of recline. Their heads were bent in sleep. The only movement came from the desks congregated at the front of the room. Five heads were huddled together, silhouetted by the bright screens.

Pushing up from the ground, Levi groaned. Old injuries ached, protesting the movement. Avoiding sleeping agents, he crossed the room with lethargic steps.

Hanji jumped when he dropped a heavy hand on her shoulder. “Sleep.”

Mike looked up, blinking. “Your hour’s up, Hanji. Get some shut-eye. We’ll find this bastard.”

Where they were huddled in front of a large monitor, Armin, Eren, and Mikasa didn’t even pause to look up from their search.

Hanji’s fingers clenched, latching over the keyboard. “But-”

Leaning against the desk, Levi spun her chair. “Do you want to come with me to intercept the codes? If you do, you’ve got to log in a few hours of sleep. Four hours minimum. It’s a requirement.”

Her shoulders drooped. “Mike-”

“Focus on the south-east quadrant of the city, I know. Don’t worry, Hanji. We’ve got this. By the time you wake up, we’ll have this guy nailed.”

She sighed. “Fine.” Standing, she poked Mike’s shoulder, “But I want you to _wake me up_ if anything big happens.”

Mike had already turned back to the screens. “Will do.”

Levi stepped back as Hanji stiffly stood up from the desk.

“Did you manage to find a comfortable spot on the floor?” she asked, stretching her arms over her head.

He nodded towards the back of the room.

She smiled. “That’ll work.”

He followed, fishing the tweezers from his pocket.

“ _Maaaan_ I am pretty tired.” She dropped, legs folding inelegantly beneath her.

Levi grunted as he dropped down beside her. “Give me your hand.”

She squinted up. “My hand?”

“It looks like a fucking pincushion.”

“Oh…” She stared, perplexed, at her palms. “I got caught up in the search. Forgot.”

He blew a breath. “Give them here.”

As he started working on her hand, she settled in. She hadn’t hesitated to claim his abandoned coat for a pillow. Scrunching the material under her head, she curled on her side.

“You’re really good at that, you know. Barely feel it,” she sighed, mumbling into the fabric.

“Lots of experience.”

“How many times have you had to tweeze shrapnel out of your own skin?”

The tweezers paused.

“A few times.”

“Did it hurt?”

“Used to. Doesn’t anymore.”

She held his gaze. “Liar.”

He was.

But she didn’t press him on it.

As he plucked, working his way along the creases in her palm, her eyes drooped closed. Skilled as he was, removing foreign objects from flesh was never completely without pain. But in this case, her exhaustion won out.

By the time he carefully placed one hand back and picked up the other, she was snoring.

When he finally finished working on her other palm, his eyes had begun to burn. Dropping the tweezers, he traced two fingers over her skin, feeling for any splinters he might have missed. The skin at the center of her palm was soft. The pads beneath her fingers, however, were rough. Calluses had formed upon her fingertips.

At his side, Hanji slept. The hand he’d given up first was curled against her chest. Her glasses, which she’d neglected to remove, sat unevenly on her nose. Mouth open, she snored into his jacket – _and was that drool?_

Closing his eyes, Levi let his head fall back against the wall. He was too tired. He’d deal with it tomorrow.

He drifted into a shallow sleep, too exhausted to realize he was still holding her hand.

* * *

 

“Wakey wakey.”

Mike’s booming baritone wrenched her from sleep.

Hanji, moaning at the interruption of what was _surely_ only a few minutes of sleep, threw and arm over her eyes. Her body was sore and she had the headache from hell, but she was _warm_ , and her face was pressed into what felt like a firm, very nice smelling pillow.

Mike’s unwelcome voice resumed, directly overhead. “Any other time I would really, _really_ take the time to enjoy this scene. Trust me, I would. But we found him.”

Her eyes snapped open.

What she’d thought was a pillow, wasn’t a pillow at all. Rather, it was a chest. Levi’s chest, to be precise. And was that his _cologne_? It smelled wonderful.

In his sleep, Levi had slouched down against the wall. His chin was tucked against his chest. As Mike spoke, his fingers twitched. His arm was draped over her shoulder. His other arm was draped across his lap. Hand upturned, he loosely held her hand.

Hanji, usually so quick, upon waking to such an unexpected sight, was momentarily thrown. Because waking up like this, was nice – apart from the uncomfortable floor, the crink in her neck, and her headache. But the Levi part, _that_ was surprisingly enjoyable. And she wasn’t entirely sure how she felt about that.

“Levi,” Mike droned.

At his name, Levi’s eyes immediately opened.

She watched as his gaze flicked back and forth, scanning the room. And then he blinked, looking first to Mike, and then down. He blinked twice as his gaze stalled, landing on her. His expression was confused. The fingers at her shoulder gave another twitch. Then he looked at his lap, and seemed to realize he was holding her hand. Clearing his throat, he extracted his fingers from her own.

To save him from making the situation any more awkward, Hanji pushed herself up. She patted his chest. “Thanks for being my pillow.”

Levi looked at her from the corner of his eyes. She was sure he was trying to come up with some clever, scathing remark about her use of him as a pillow. But his arm had wrapped around her, holding her in place, and he knew it.

“Bearing witness to this excruciatingly awkward moment has done wonders to my mood and probably even begun to heal my concussion. Thank you.” Mike clapped his hands. “Now get your asses up. We’ve got work to do.”

Muttering scathing responses under his breath, Levi shoved himself up from the floor. “Where is he?”

“A pay-by-the-hour hotel on the East end of the city,” Mike said.

Hanji stood, rolling the stiffness out of her shoulders. Pushing both men out of her way, she sidled up behind Armin. He was in exactly the same place she had left him.

“You tracked the van?” she asked.

Armin nodded. “It was sheer luck that we found it at all. We were panning over parking lots in the area and Eren spotted it.”

Hanji gave Eren’s shoulder a congratulatory pat. He responded with a tired smile.

“You double checked that he’s actually in the hotel?” Hanji asked, turning back to Armin. “He could have ditched the car and walked to another location.”

“He didn’t.” Mike said, leaning against the desk. “We were able to hack into the security camera from the liquor store across the street. We saw him enter the hotel. Room 23.”

“Excellent. Now we wait for him to make a move?”

“ _They_ wait.” Levi spoke up. “It’s already eight. He’ll probably be moving soon. We’re going to get out there and wait a few blocks from the hotel. Once we have visual confirmation of the codes, we’ll make our move.”

She looked to Mike. “And you’ll…keep an eye on everyone here?”

He nodded, looking grim. “We’ll stay put until we hear back from you or Moblit about…” He looked briefly at the agents around them. “Anything your team back home manages to find.”

“Stay alert.”

“I’ll be ready this time.”

Levi turned to collect his things and Hanji leaned in to check the monitor one last time. A throat cleared behind her.

“I’d like to come.” Pastor Nick was sitting up in his chair. “To see if I recognize the agents receiving the codes. And so that I can see the codes first hand. Prove that this heinous act really is planned.”

Levi shook his head. “I still consider you a flight risk. And anyway, it’ll be too dangerous.”

The pastor looked at Hanji, imploring. “ _Please_. I need to see it. I need to know. You can understand that?” His hands balled into fists. “The organization that I have devoted decades of my life to – I _need to know_ what it truly stands for. Once and for all.”

“We can handcuff him to the car, Levi. He won’t be able to run.”

“And if something happens to him? If we take him we risk losing all the information he could give us.”

Pastor Nick straightened. His wrinkled lips were set in a stubborn line. “I will tell you nothing until my suspicions are confirmed.”

Levi closed his eyes. Drawing a long breath, he at last consented. “Fine.” Straitening, he pointed at the pastor. “But you are going to stay in the fucking car.”

The Pastor nodded, contrite. “Agreed.”

Hanji clapped her hands. “Good! That’s settled. Now shall we get those codes?”

Levi tugged on his wrinkled jacket with a scowl. “Let’s get those god damn codes.”

* * *

 

Hanji braced her feet on the car’s dash. They’d been waiting an hour and the carrier had yet to make a move and so far, no one had been able to get eyes on the code. A balmy breeze gusted in through the car’s broken windows.

Sighing, she slumped down in the seat. “You’re the one who’s so worried about blending in. Our sports car has a bullet hole in the front windshield and two busted windows. Pretty sure we’re not blending in.”

“I thought about taking Mike’s car,” Levi answered, sounding bored. Tapping his hand on the wheel, he idly watched the cross street. “But I wanted something fast. Just in case. If he makes a run for it, we’re going after him.”

Tipping her head back, Hanji closed her eyes.

Levi’s phone buzzed.

Rolling up, Hanji reached for it. But Levi got it first.

“Yeah?”

She could hear Mike’s voice. It was tinny over the phone. “Something’s happening at the hotel. A second car showed up.” A pause. “Someone opened the blinds. We have visual confirmation. He has a metal briefcase. We believe it’s the codes. Go now.”

Dropping the phone, Levi reached for the door. Hanji grabbed for his shoulder. “Wait! Pastor Nick needs to be able to see this go down. We have to move the car closer.”

Levi tossed her the keys. “You move it. Stay a safe distance from the hotel.” With that, he swung open the door and rose swiftly from the car. He crossed the street in quick strides.

Gripping the headrests, Hanji climbed into the driver’s seat. “Hold on Pastor, I’ll get you a good view.”

Pulling away from the curb, Hanji drove slowly down the street. At the corner, she stopped. Across the street, the hotel sat. Squat and dingy, it seemed a drain on the surrounding metropolitan décor. “Climb up here. You’ll have a good view.”

Huffing, Pastor Nick climbed up between the seats. As he dropped stiffly into the passenger seat, Hanji readied the handcuffs. With a sigh, he held out his wrist. She snapped one cuff on his wrist, and leaning over him, secured the other to the handle of the door.

“I’m going to go see if Levi needs any help.”

The Pastor raised a brow. “I believe it was implied that you would wait here with me.”

“Then he should have been more explicit,” she said as she rose from the car. “Stay low.”

Glancing to make sure the coast was clear, she jogged across the street. Hunching to hide behind a row of untamed shrubs, she hurried to the side of the hotel. There, Levi waited, gun held at the ready.

When she reached him, Levi swore. “I said-”

“You said nothing.” Bracing a hand on his shoulder, she peered around the corner of the hotel. “One car. Two agents. They seem to be conversing with the code carrier in his room.”

“I was just about to go in.”

“You should wait.”

“Why?”

“Because TITAN often works in pairs – sometimes groups of three. I suspect this team will soon be joined by another team. Or two. They stagger their arrivals. If you go in now, you could get caught inside when the second team shows up.”

“If I wait, there will be more agents to fight.”

“But if you can’t get out before the next team arrives, you might be trapped with TITAN agents on either side of you.”

Levi looked up. “Mike gave you a new phone?”

She nodded.

“I’ll go in. You watch the street. Give me a warming call if you see more of the bastards coming.”

“Even with a warning, you won’t have much time.”

“I’ll be able to get out.” Readying his gun, Levi glanced around the corner.

Before he could slip around the building, Hanji reached out, grabbing for his arm. At the touch, he looked over his shoulder. His frown was a silent question.

Hanji hadn’t meant to reach out, and now that she’d stopped him, she wasn’t entirely sure what she wanted to say.

“Don’t die.”

His brows lifted. “I try to avoid it when I can.”

“I’ll give you as much warning as I can,” she said, and lifted her hand.

Before turning the corner, he gave her a final nod. And then he was gone.

Hunching down, Hanji hurried across the lawn, until she had a better view of the road. Peering over the bushes, she fished her phone from her pocket. From the hotel, a single gunshots rang out.

Clenching her fists, she turned back to the road. It wasn’t a minute before a nondescript black car approached the hotel. It was them. It had to be. Levi’s number was dialed and ready. She pressed call.

It rang. And then it rang again. And again. No answer.

Kneeling down, Hanji watched the hotel room door. Levi didn’t emerge.

The second car was parking. Two men in suits exited the vehicle.

Levi was still in the room.

Reaching into her coat pocket, Hanji grabbed the tazer she’d hastily tucked away before leaving the safe house.

And then she ran. She was halfway across the parking lot when she took a breath and gave a shout.

“ _Help!_ ”

At the cry, both men jumped. They twisted to face her; their hands were already halfway into their jackets.

She started to cry. Gasping she stumbled towards them. “Help! _Help!_ You have to help me!” Grabbing the burlier of the two, she shook his arm. “I’ve _lost him_.”

Big-bald-and-burly glanced at his companion. The other agent, a thin man with slicked back hair looked completely befuddled. He mouthed _‘what?’_   Big-bald-and-burly shrugged.

“My _cat_!” Hanji forced another sob. “He’s somewhere out there. Helpless! Alone!”

She was giving the big guy’s arm another shake when the skinny one lifted a hand. He stared at her, frowning.

“Wait a sec. Your face – it was on the report-”

The tazer was already out of her pocket. She thrust it forward with a shout. Big-bald-and-burly went down.

Mr. Skinny tugged the gun from his jacket. Diving towards him, she grabbed for the gun with one hand as the other swung blindly with the tazer. The agent knocked the tazer aside. It clattered to the ground. But she had a hand on his weapon. Ramming her shoulder into his sternum she scratched at his fingers, trying to drag the gun from his hands.

Tires squealed on asphalt. A new car had entered the parking lot. The third team had arrived. Four TITAN agents poured from the vehicle. They lifted guns.

The agent with whom she’d been struggling suddenly gasped. His head snapped forward, as if it had taken a blow.

Behind him, Levi stood, fist raised.

As the agent collapsed, Levi grabbed her arm. She was dragged behind a car as the lot exploded in gunfire.

Levi knelt down. He held a thin, metal briefcase. Peering over the vehicle’s bullet ridden hood, Levi braced the case against the ground.

“That’s it? You’ve got it?”

“If Mike’s right, this is it,” Levi said, drawing his gun from its holster. “Now we just have to fucking hold on to it. Here.” He passed her the suitcase and ducked down as a second series of shots rang out. Levying himself up, he fired several rapid shots. Swearing, he dropped back down. Glass shattered as bullets rained through the windows above them.

“I won’t be able to hold them off for long. It will be easy to surround us,” Levi said, grimacing between shots. “The hotel room’s behind us. A straight shot. Make a run for it. I’ll draw their fire. Once you’re in, go out the back window. Get back to the car. Take the codes to the safe house.”

The suitcase felt heavy in her hands. “I’m not going to just – just leave you here,” she hissed.

“We're low on options. And we _have_ to take back these codes.” Levi cursed, and ducked away from a bullet that whistled past, too close. “We have a fucking job to do.”

Hanji clenched her hands. Her nails dug painful crescents into her palms. “Levi-”

“Hanji.”

And then a hand was gripping her ponytail. Hard, insistent fingers turned her head. Levi’s eyes were wide and his pupils dilated. His expression was set. “You have to go.”

He was right. Damn it, she knew he was right.

She licked her lips. “Try to meet me at the car. I’ll wait three minutes.”

Closing his eyes, he released her hair. “Fine.” And then he was up and firing again.

The thought of leaving him here alone made something in her chest physically ache. But she had to go. They couldn’t afford to lose the codes.

Crouching, she hugged the suitcase to her chest. And then she ran.

Gunshots fired, rapid, behind her. Levi’s promised cover.

Her shoes pounded over asphalt and then she was hopping over the curb. The hotel room door had been left open. Jumping over a downed TITAN agent, she dove into the dim room. Skirting another agent and then the code carrier, she sped through the room.

Holding the suitcase with one hand, she flung the window up. The screen popped out with a single push. And then she was crawling through and rolling into the bushes below.

Her heart was racing and she could still hear the gunfire coming from the parking lot. She had to get to the car.

Rolling up, she clutched the suitcase and sprinted across the rear lawn. Hurriedly glancing for enemies, she crossed the road. And then she was turning a corner. There, the car waited.

Throwing herself into the driver’s seat, she dropped the suitcase at the Pastor’s feet. He was pale.

“Are those?”

“We think so.” Her answer was curt. Gripping the wheel, she squinted, trying to make out the action in the parking lot. “You’ll have to wait until we’re back to check the contents in there. We have a bit of a situation.”

“I can see that. Shouldn’t we, er, go?”

“Not yet. Levi has a minute and a half.”

Pastor Nick watched the parking lot, somber. “They’re closing in on him.”

Hanji’s knuckles were white. She started the car. “I’m going to get a little closer. We’ll still be able to speed away should we need to.”

The pastor made no reply.

Sitting high in the seat, Hanji pulled slowly forward. She would leave. When a minute passed she would go. She just – just wanted to see what was happening.

A fourth car had arrived.

A spike of nerves wrenched her chest.

The additional agents circled the car.

Levi stood. His gun was raised. But he didn’t fire.

He was surrounded.

The closest TITAN agent lifted a gun. Took aim at Levi’s head.

Hanji slammed her hand over the horn. It blared.

All heads turned in her direction. She dragged the briefcase up. Sunlight glared off smooth metal. “You want this?” she shouted through the open window.

While they were distracted, Levi twisted, firing a series of rapid shots. The agents nearest him fell. But the others were running – towards her or to their cars.

Levi was out of immediate danger.

She pounded the gas. Tires squealed as the sports car peeled away, rapidly accelerating over the narrow road. In her rearview mirror she saw one car skid out of the parking lot – and then another.

Tugging at his handcuffs, the pastor twisted in his seat. He watched the pursuing vehicles with wide eyes. “Wh- why?! What were you thinking? Now they’ll catch _us_!”

She hadn’t been thinking anything at all. She’d seen the TITAN agent aim at Levi and she’d reacted. Logic and tactics hadn’t factored in. She’d simply wished to save him.

“I won’t let them.” Pressing stubbornly on the gas, Hanji tightened her hold on the wheel. “Hold tight, Pastor. It may be a rough ride.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so excited for the next chapter, I can't even tell you guys :> *Whispers* caaaar chase


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there! I'm baaaack! Life has been crazy - and it's still crazy - but I really, really wanted to give you all an update. So here it is! Thank you all so much for your nice reviews and kind messages. Hope you enjoy the new chapter!
> 
> Warning: Blood + character death

“Where are you going? Shouldn’t we be trying to get back to your friends?”

Hanji turned down one side street, and then down another. She wrenched the wheel and tires spun as the car skidded onto a wider, main road. It led South. Away from the safe house.

“I’d rather not lead four cars of TITAN agents back to our new base of operations.”

Mike was injured and there was very possibly a traitor in his company. She didn’t think it wise to bring a firefight to their doorstep. Doing so would in all likelihood mean the loss of the codes – and probably a few agents. TITAN wasn’t known for taking prisoners.

As she sped over the two lane road, the car’s engine roared. Rapid pops, barely audible over the engine, sounded behind them. Windows shattered as bullets tore through the glass. Hanji flinched, instinctively ducking to the side. The pastor slouched low in his seat. His hands, still cuffed to the door, strained to cover his head.

Hanji took a hard right.

Seconds later, the shots resumed. Her side mirror was blown away. On the sidewalk, pedestrians dove into nearby buildings to escape the fire.

“We need to get out of here!” the pastor shouted. “Innocent people will be hurt!”

Without breaking, she dragged the steering wheel left. The car shuddered as tires slid over asphalt.

The pastor was right. If they continued this rampage through the city for much longer, civilians _would_ die.

“There’s a road,” Hanji said, thinking aloud. “If I’m remembering the maps correctly, it leads out of the city. It’ll go along the cliffs and then wind through the hills. Out there we could really push this car’s speed. It will handle better than anything they’ve got. We might be able to lose them.”

“Are you sure?”

“No.” Hanji twisted the wheel. “But it’s worth a shot.”

* * *

 

 

Enemy agent’s wrist in hand, Levi wrenched. The man yelped and his gun clattered onto the pavement. A kick to the back of the legs dropped the agent to his knees. Levi struck down and the man slumped, unconscious.

Heart hammering, Levi straightened. The parking lot was quiet and still. A dozen agents lay nearby – unconscious or dead.

The rest were gone. Rushing back to their cars, they’d peeled away. After Hanji and the codes.

Hanji.

The fucking idiot had saved his life.

If they caught up with her, she was dead. The codes would be lost.

Levi turned a circle, looking. They’d be going fast. But catching up wasn’t impossible – not yet. The city stretched for several miles in every direction. Roads were narrow and driving speed would be limited. If he could take shortcuts, cut through a few alleys, he might be able to catch them. He just needed –

In front of the nearby liquor store, a motorcycle, tires black and its treads unworn, waited for its owner’s return.

Levi strolled across the street. From his back pocket, he drew out a single key. A present Hanji had given him years ago. She’d promised it would start any vehicle. It had yet to fail him.

 

* * *

 

Street signs flashed by, their letterings little more than blurs, as the car picked up speed. They were nearly out of the city. As they sped through an intersection, horns blared and vehicles swerved to avoid them. Behind them, one of the TITAN cars was clipped. It spun once, before straightening out. It accelerated, tires spinning over asphalt. It left a cloud of smoke in its wake.

Two lanes merged into one. Hanji followed the road, easing the car faster as the city gave way to countryside.

“We’re almost out.”

Pastor Nick stared out the broken back window. His thin upper lip was damp with sweat. “Three are still following.”

“We’ll get away,” she said, to reassure herself as much as him.

She pressed down on the gas and the engine snarled in reply.

“I set out to make the world a better place. But I fear I’ve left it a worse one.”

Hanji took her eyes from the road long enough to look at the pastor. Handcuffed hands clasped in his lap, he stared unblinkingly ahead.

“You’ve picked a bad time for your crisis, Pastor.” Ahead the road curved. Hanji was forced to brake to make the turn. She glanced in the rearview mirror. They were catching up.

“I wanted to save people. Rescue children from poverty and war. And all this time, I have been aiding an organization who means to bring about a war the likes of which this world has never known,” the Pastor said. He sounded sick.

“Pastor,” Hanji said. As she took another corner, the car slid. They fishtailed over dirt before she wrenched the wheel and wrested the vehicle back onto the road. “Pastor,” she started again. “I understand that you’re going through a bit of a rough time right now, I really do.” She ducked down as a bullet whizzed through the open back window. “But the fact that you’re here now, trying to do the right thing speaks volumes about- _shit!_ ”

The car jolted. A TITAN car was at their bumper. In the rearview mirror she glimpsed ruined headlights and then an engine was revving. Their car shuddered as the TITAN vehicle rammed them again.

A second car pulled into the left lane and accelerated, attempting to flank their side.

She swerved left, cutting them off.

“What I’m trying to say is, you’re here helping us now. Once all of this is through, I’ll personally make sure you’re set up with a church of your own. And you can spend all of your days doing nothing but helping people and praying. And by the end, I’m sure you’ll have more than made up for all this TITAN shit,” she said and glanced across the car. “Yeah?”

The car shuddered again. Hanji swore. The second car had rammed them. Meanwhile, the first car was coming up on their right.

The pastor yelped. The first car swerved in. Yanking the wheel, Hanji barely avoided a collision. Righting the car, she slammed the gas. Engine roaring, they pulled ahead of both cars.

“I’ll admit,” Pastor Nick said, hands clasped tight. “You’ve given me some hope.”

“Good. Now turn around and give me updates on _exactly_ what the three cars back there are doing.” She was going to need to focus on driving. “We’re coming up to the cliffs.”

 

* * *

 

Yellow lines flickered, flashing as they disappeared beneath the motorcycle’s tires. He leaned forward, pushing the bike faster. The speedometer’s dial inched up. Eighty to eighty-five. Eighty-five to ninety.

He’d had an idea of where she’d go. And he was relieved to see, as he passed skid marks and broken glass that marked the violent chase out of the city, that his guess had been correct. She was going to drive along the bluffs and try to lose them on the flats past the hills.

He understood why she’d chosen this route. To drag the chase through the city would have surely left more than a few civilians injured or dead. And it wasn’t impossible – escape through the hills. But it was risky. The TITAN agents only needed one clean shot at her – or at one of her tires. Kill the driver or cripple the car, and they’d get their codes.

As his speed continued to creep up, Levi leaned into his turns. He hadn’t had time for a helmet – not that it really mattered. At this speed, he would be nothing more than a smear on the pavement.

There.

As Levi eased out of the turn, he saw them. Three Titan vehicles and the bright sports car. One followed, crushing Hanji’s bumper. The others swerved on either side, attempting to flank her.

Wind tore at his coat as Levi pushed the motorcycle faster still. As he caught up to the cluster of cars, the TITAN vehicle at the rear pulled back. Levi swerved and barely avoided a collision with their back bumper.

Tires squealed and then the TITAN car was veering toward him. Cursing, Levi pulled back. As soon as the car passed in front of him, he pumped the throttle. He passed the back tire and then the rear window. As he pulled even with the driver, he pulled out his gun.

The first shot shattered the window. It missed the driver and struck his companion. Levi didn’t have time to fire a second. The agent yanked the wheel and the car swerved into him.

Levi grabbed at the open window. His gun dropped into the car. With one hand on the car and the other steering the bike, he managed to steady himself out.

Inside the car, the driver reached for the gun.

Abandoning his hold on the car, Levi reached in. He grabbed a fistful of the agent’s hair and slammed his head forward. The horn blared.

Not pausing to think, Levi grabbed the wheel, abandoning his hold on the bike. As the motorcycle wobbled, Levi hauled himself up and through the window. He bodily shoved the driver into the passenger seat. The car slowed for a moment before Levi’s foot found the gas. Beside him, the driver moaned and blinked at him, confused. Stretching across the seat, Levi opened the passenger door. With a solid shove, both the driver and the passenger tumbled out.

Levi swerved right and the door swung shut.

By now, Hanji and the others had pulled ahead. The TITAN vehicles were on either side of her, trying to box her in.

Levi paused just long enough to adjust his seat and grab his gun from where it had dropped, and then ground the gas pedal into the floor. The car rumbled in protest. It wasn’t quite as fast as the bike – but it more than made up for it in size. As he caught up, he didn’t slow. His car’s already ruined front struck the back of one of the TITAN cars with a grating crunch.

The TITAN agent’s car fishtailed and then spun. Levi jerked the wheel, barely avoiding the spinning car. Meanwhile, Hanji’s car swerved right, slamming the other TITAN vehicle and forcing it momentarily back.

Levi glanced back. The TITAN agents had been temporarily slowed, but they weren’t done. The second vehicle was already picking up speed again, coming for a second attack.

Levi pulled up beside Hanji. He rolled down the passenger side window. Wind whistled between the cars as faded yellow lines blurred on the road between them.

Hanji turned and saw him. Her face lit up. She leaned her head out the window. Her hair whipped about her face and she pushed it back with an impatient hand. She grinned. “Levi! You caught up!”

“Do you have a fucking death wish?” He shouted to be heard over the wind.

Hanji laughed. She actually _laughed_.

“Not today! I’ve got the codes, you’re alright, and now we’re back together – ready to fight these bastards as a team. Two on two. I like those odds!”

Levi opened his mouth, ready to berate her for – risking her life and the pastor’s life to save him? Her relentless positivity? Having the audacity to laugh when TITAN agents were trying to kill them?

Instead, he said, “Put your head back in your car before someone shoots it off.”

Hanji grinned, but obligingly ducked back into the car.

Damn-it, her laughter was infectious. The corner of his lips quirked. They were in the middle of a fucking car chase. She had no right to be so happy.

Nearby, and engine roared. One of the two TITAN cars had caught up.

Hanji veered right, attempting to cut it off, but the agent swerved and then rapidly accelerated. Through Hanji’s window, Levi saw the agent pull even with Hanji’s car. The TITAN agent lifted a gun.

“Hanji! Down!”

Hanji ducked, dragging the pastor down with her.

Aiming through her open window, Levi fired two succinct shots. The TITAN agent slumped and his car careened from the road.

Hanji’s head popped back up, and she jerked the wheel, quickly correcting her car.

The last TITAN agents were quickly approaching. Levi let up off the gas, intending to cut them off before they could get to Hanji.

He swerved in front of the rapidly accelerating vehicle and slammed his breaks. Tires squealed and the TITAN car swerved. It scraped past Levi’s car, taking his side mirror with it. As the car passed him, Levi swore. His car’s engine growled as he pushed it to catch up.

Ahead, the road curved. To the right were sharp hills, and to the left, a low guardrail and ocean bluffs.

The TITAN agents pulled even with Hanji.

Levi pressed the gas pedal into the floor.

His car inched ahead. The TITAN agent’s car loomed in front of him. Holding his gun out the window, he aimed at their tires.

The muzzle of a gun thrust through the TITAN agent’s open window – toward Hanji’s car. There was a flicker of light as it fired. The back windshield of the sports car was painted red. 

Time slowed.

One of Levi’s shots finally hit. And then the TITAN car was swerving and it struck the sports car. Both cars hit the guard rail. And then they were gone.

Levi yanked the wheel. Dirt and dust billowed around the car as it skidded onto the embankment. He threw open the door. Apart from the wind that buffeted the bluffs, it was quiet.

The guard rail was mangled. The cliffs they guarded weren’t terribly high; both cars were already sinking in the water.

Levi tore off his jacket. He thrust his hands into his pockets and dropped their contents onto the ground.

He vaulted the low rail. His shoes slipped and scraped over loose dirt as he slid down the steep slope. When he was halfway down, the cliff dropped steeply off. He jumped.

Churning water swallowed him whole.

The muted silence of the water enveloped him and he sank, letting the momentum from the fall drive him down.

The car was sinking – with Hanji, the Pastor, and the codes inside. He twisted and kicked out, swimming down. 

The water was dark and the salt burned his eyes. In his head, he saw the window splatter with red again, and again. It was too much blood.

The car loomed in front of him; its tail lights dyed the water red.

Reaching out, he gripped cold metal. Slowly, he climbed towards the driver’s side door.

Tendrils of red twisted in the water. Blood.

Levi dragged open the door. The car was filled with water and Hanji-

-was still strapped in her seat, pale and still. Her shirt was splattered with red.

His ears buzzed and his hands were at her face, turning her head. No bullet holes. No blood. His eyes raked over her shoulders, her chest.

He glanced to the side. The pastor’s eyes were open. They stared, empty and unblinking in the murky water. Blood, the color of rust, polluted the water around his head.

Tearing his eyes away from the pastor’s body, Levi unbuckled Hanji’s seatbelt and dragged her from the car. He scanned the wrecked vehicle. The case. Where was the case?

Gripping the door, he leaned back in. Air escaped his mouth as he fished under the seats. It wasn’t there.

His lungs were beginning to burn. Pushing off from the car, he held Hanji and kicked for the surface.

They broke the surface of the water, and the muted silence of the ocean gave way to crashing waves and seagulls' raucous calls. With a few kicks, his shoes brushed sand. Holding Hanji’s limp body at his side, he staggered out of the water. His wet clothes hung heavy on his body, and as he dropped to the sand, water poured from the drenched fabric.

Hanji was coughing, wet, heaving gasps. Levi maneuvered her onto her side and held a bracing hand against her shoulder as she expelled brackish water onto the sand. Despite the cold water drenching them both, her shoulder was warm, and Levi’s found himself holding tight to it. His dark hair lay flat, plastered to his forehead. As he looked around, surveying their surroundings, fat drops of water collected on his hair and one-by-one, fell, collecting on his nose and cheeks.

The beach was deserted – save for a single set of footprints that led from the water’s edge to a worn, wooden staircase that climbed the bluffs. He craned his head up. A figure sprinted up the last set of stairs. A metal briefcase swung, glinting in their grip.

The TITAN agent from the other car.

Levi rose, stumbling to his feet. But the figure had already disappeared over the top of the cliff. Above, there was the squealing of tires followed by the roar of an accelerating engine. A getaway car.

They were escaping. He'd never reach the top in time; they’d be long gone.

Levi closed his eyes and took a breath.

They’d lost the codes. The TITAN agent would soon be passing off the launch codes and delivering them to whoever was in possession of the missiles. If they were going to have any chance of averting tragedy, they _needed_ to intercept those codes before they were delivered.

For a moment, he was frozen, staring at the pale cliffs.

Behind him, Hanji groaned.

“Levi?” she said, hoarse.

He blinked and forced his paralyzed body into motion. Lifting beneath her arms, he helped Hanji rise from the sand. “Come on Four-Eyes. We’ve got to go.”

She blinked, disoriented. “Levi? What happened?”

Reaching around her, he held her against his side, helping her over the uneven sand. “Just keep walking.”

If Hanji's research was accurate - which it probably was - TITAN would send a clean-up team back to the scene. Which meant he and Hanji needed to get the hell off the beach. As they walked, Levi considered their next move. They’d need to hole up somewhere – in case during this whole mess they’d managed to get a tail. They’d have to contact Mike and Erwin – start a major surveillance operation over the whole area. And then? Hope to hell a surveillance team could locate the TITAN agent with the codes.

Against his side, Hanji shivered. “There’s blood on my shirt.”

Levi looked, though he didn't need to. He knew it wasn’t hers. Large blots of red stained the yellow fabric. The cold water had failed to rinse the red away; rather, it seeped in, blending with the wet material.

“Levi. What happened?” she repeated, her voice uneven.

Levi glanced up, checking the cliffs. So far they were still alone. “Not now. Later.”

Once they climbed the stairs, Levi collected his phone and keys. The TITAN car was where he left it. They drove it as far as the outskirts of the city before walking a few blocks and hailing a cab. It took them into the city, and then they got out and walked several blocks more to make sure they hadn’t been followed. To avoid leading any TITAN agents back to Mike and the others, Levi decided to check into a hotel.

As they waited for the elevator, he told her in short, hushed sentences, what had occurred. Arms folded tight across her chest, she stared hard at the elevator doors as if willing them to open and said, “I know. It came back to me on the cab ride here. I remember everything.” She sounded hollow.

When they entered the room, Levi took a moment to check the bathroom, the closet, and under the bed. As he looked, Hanji sat, perched perilously quiet on the edge of the bed. Her shoulders were slumped and her gaze, distant. The sight made his resolve crack and he very nearly sat down by her side. But his phone weighed heavy in his pocket. The codes were on the move. Before he could do anything else, he had to make a few calls. Erwin an Mike needed to be briefed on the situation. Agents would need to mobilize and an extensive search had to be organized. Giving Hanji one last lingering glance, he stepped out onto the balcony.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many of you guessed that Pastor Nick wasn't going to have a good end - and he most certainly did not. Poor guy. 
> 
> And next chapter's going to have ALL the emotions. So be ready for that.


	15. Chapter 15

The carpet was puke green.

Her head throbbed and a persistent, lingering ache nestled in the space between her eyes. Elbows braced on her knees, Hanji leaned limply forward. She stared down, unblinking, at the god-awful carpet beneath her feet.

The pastor was dead.

The pastor was dead, and the codes were gone, and it was all her fault.

Hanji felt an intangible _something_ , pressing at her gut. It was rising, an anxious, suffocating pressure. So far as she could tell, it either meant she was seconds away from breaking the ugly vase beside the bed – or she was about to throw up.

Cold pinpricks of sweat collected at her hairline. An adventurous drop from the back of her neck rolled an agonizingly slow path down her spine.

She closed her eyes and saw shards of glass, sparkling as they ripped through the car. She hadn’t heard the gunshot – or maybe she had. But suddenly she’d been splattered with something warm. The wheel was shuddering in her grasp, and someone’s tires were squealing, but she’d looked down anyway. She was covered in red.

She saw him. Just before they hit the water – vacant eyed, and with a hole in his head.

And then it was cold and very, very dark.

The case with the codes must have fallen from the vehicle – or the other agent had snatched it as they sunk. It didn’t matter. It was gone.

She could hear Levi’s muffled voice. He was bent over the balcony, talking with someone in a hushed tone. Erwin or Mike, most likely. They’d have to mobilize everyone. Start the search anew.

If they couldn’t find them, TITAN would have the missiles and the codes, and many more than just the good pastor would die.

The choked feeling was climbing, rising up through her throat. Hands clenched, she stood, gasping and-

Delicate porcelain shattered as the vase struck the wall with a satisfying crash. But the burning, choking feeling was in her throat, in her mouth. She couldn’t breathe and the vase wasn’t enough.

A solid kick had the end table toppling.

Another kick and the flimsy chair was across the room.

Hanji didn’t see the balcony door open, but when she dragged a picture frame from the wall, he was there, standing in the doorway, shoulders tense and gun drawn. His gaze flicked back and forth, assessing the room for invisible enemies.

Ignoring him, she threw the picture at the adjacent wall. It crashed and the cheap frame crumbled. It wasn’t enough.

Fire was churning in her stomach and the flames ate at her throat. She kicked futilely at the heavy desk, and cursed when she felt angry tears trickling down her cheeks. Cursing again, she kicked it harder. It wasn’t enough. She’d fucked up. Pastor Nick was dead. The codes were gone. She’d fucked up.

Choking back a sob, she clutched at the desk and gave it a solid shove. It shuddered as it cracked against the wall, and for a second, she felt the steering wheel, shuddering in her hands.

Fire turned to ice and Hanji closed her eyes. Clenching her teeth, she struggled to breathe.

Hands were at her shoulders. She jolted at the touch.

She heard Levi’s voice, felt his breath at the back of her neck as he pulled her from the desk. The hands at her shoulders were insistent, and soon she felt cold tiles beneath her feet.

It hurt to breathe.

The shower was on.

Muttering under his breath, Levi bent to look at her feet.

A shallow gash on her big toe bled. Red dotted the tile. Red like the seats in the car. Like the stains on her shirt. She gasped and tensed. She couldn’t _breathe_.

Then he was holding her, dragging her.

He slipped – or she did. Hot water scalded her back as they dropped gracelessly into the tub.

Her clothes, only just drying, were instantly drenched through. Hanji shivered, teeth chattering, even as hot water rained down on her back.

Strong arms encircled her shoulders. Levi’s hand worked a rough, solid path up and down her back. He was saying something, but she couldn’t hear. The arms around her squeezed, insistent. He spoke close at her ear.

“Just breathe. Stop fucking thinking. It’s okay. It’s okay. Close your eyes. Feel the water. Slow breaths.”

She sucked in a shuddering breath. “He’s dead,” she said, shaking. “The codes, Levi.” Oh _god_ the codes. She sucked in a gasping breath, and then another.

The hand rubbing her back redoubled in pressure. “Don’t think. Close your eyes. Feel the water.” His voice was flat and calm. Calmer than he had any right to be.

There was a hole in Pastor Nick’s head. He’d been handcuffed in the car. He had nowhere to go.

Hanji panted, dragging in breath after breath.

“Hanji. Slow breaths. Focus on the feel of the water. You’re having a panic attack. Come on, slow breaths.”

She closed her eyes. Clutching the drenched fabric of his shirt, she shuddered and managed a slow, deep breath, and then another.

He was speaking a slow, even mantra over her head. “That’s it. Just fucking breathe nice and slow. Just like that, Four-Eyes.”

And so she did.

She lost track of time. Though the water still ran hot, she couldn’t tell how long they sat in the tub. As she came down and frenzied panic loosed her from its hold, she swallowed and loosened her grip on his shirt.

She spoke, voice hoarse. “I’m… okay.”

He nodded, but didn’t move to release her. It couldn’t have been comfortable, the way he was laying, propped up, wedged between her and the back of the tub. But he held himself perfectly still, apart from his hand, which occasionally brushed over her back.

“It’s happened to me before,” he said, and then paused and clarified, “A panic attack. Had one after my first kill. I was up against another agent. The guy was young. Barely more than a kid. But the fucker was going to kill a lot of people. I lost my gun. The only weapon I had left was a small knife. Had to cut the bastard’s throat.”

Hanji looked up.

Levi’s shirt was drenched. It stuck to his arms and chest in clumps of wrinkled fabric. Droplets collected in his hair. They slid down the straight strands, and dropped, falling in rivulets down his cheeks and dripping off the tip of his upturned nose. A few drops stuck on his lashes. When he blinked, they joined the rest, rolling down his cheeks.

“You did it to save others,” Hanji said, and then added, the words crawling out of her throat, a painful ache, “I fucked up, Levi. I really, really fucked up.”

There was a long pause.

Finally, “You made a bad call.”

Hanji choked on a laugh. It was a hard, bitter sound. “A bad call,” she repeated, shaking her head. “A bad call that condemned a man to death and may well have doomed countless others.”

“You had a choice. You did what you thought was right. Agonizing over it now isn’t going to change a damn thing.”

Pressing against his chest, Hanji pushed roughly up. The embers in her belly shifted and flames stirred. “A _man died_. Nuclear codes have been taken! I’m allowed to agonize!”

Leaning forward, Levi gripped her chin. “ _Not if you want to get them back_. We. Don’t. Have. Time. Erwin’s calling all available agents. The search is beginning. As soon as they find anything, we’ve got to be ready to go. And you’re not going to be any help. Not like this.”

Hanji held his gaze. As quickly as it had come, the fight left her. She closed her eyes. He was right. He was being a dick about it, but he was absolutely right.

She took a slow breath and then another.

She opened her eyes.

“I’m alright.”

He squinted and shook his head. “No.” She imagined his gray eyes were peering straight through her. “But you will be.”

Hot water poured down her back. She shivered anyway.

She’d made mistakes before. But in all her life, she’d never been responsible for something like _this_ , and she wondered if she’d always have this hollow aching feeling in her chest. Bracing her hands against the bottom of the tub, she asked, “How do you _know_?”

“I fucked up too,” he said, and reached around her to shut off the water.

In the absence of the shower’s constant drone, the silence was deafening.

Levi’s voice was hoarse. “When I first started, I had partners.”

Levi had joined the agency when she was a relatively new recruit in the research department. She’d been an intern, kept in a lab apart from the central building. She’d known Levi had partners early on, but she had no clearance at the time, and hadn’t heard much else about it. By the time she had moved up in the agency, Levi’s partners had moved elsewhere – or so she’d assumed. Their files weren’t in the main database, and she’d never gone looking.

Clearing his throat, he pressed on. “We were on a mission. It was to bring down a TITAN syndicate. We knew it was a difficult mission. But not impossible. Especially not for us.”

Hanji listened, dread growing. Though she didn’t know the story, she had a sudden, terrible idea of the end.

“They were going to blow up a diplomat’s house. They had arranged to do it the night she was holding a large party. They got the jump on us, and we got to the house just as they were putting their plan into action. There was a guy there, one of TITAN’s top agents. Zeke.”

Hanji stared. Zeke wasn’t just a top agent. He’d helped lead countless attacks. He was wanted in nearly every nation.

Levi continued, “He was there, and I had the opportunity to get him. So I took it. The bomb was in the basement. My partners, Farlan and Isabel, went to take care of it.” Levi closed his eyes. “TITAN must have had a specialist work on the bombs. It was a technology Isabel and Farlan didn’t recognize. I was in a car, chasing after Zeke, but I had a radio in my ear. I could hear everything. TITAN agents had rigged the doors and windows to lock. Everything was secured. The guests couldn’t escape, and Farlan and Isabel wouldn’t leave them.” Levi swallowed. Gray eyes stared forward, but they were no longer looking at her.

“I turned the car around. Let Zeke go. The house was in sight and I could hear them both in my ear. They said goodbye, right before the whole damn thing exploded. They all died. Everyone.”

Hanji stared. Her throat felt dry. “Farlan. Isabel. The diplomat. Her guests.”

He nodded, slow.

In all her time in the agency – she’d never heard about them. Farlan and Isabel’s sacrifice. The diplomat and her guests.

“Why does no one-”

“At the time, we weren’t official agents. More like mercenaries, really. It was a trial run. We didn’t know anyone in the agency. Farlan and Isabel - they died. And that was fucking that. I had nowhere to go. Nothing else to do. So I joined up.”

“And became our top agent.”

He shrugged. “I do my job.”

Hanji reached forward, impulsively grabbing for his hand. “It still hurts.” It wasn’t a question.

“Every day,” he said, and looked down at their joined hands. “I’m not trying to one-up you, or any shit like that. Just,” his hand squeezed, “you’ve got to keep moving. Keep pushing the fuck forward. Nothing else matters.”

Hanji blinked and stared down at the pale tub. She’d never forget Pastor Nick’s face, how it looked at the end. Not for the rest of her life. She’d cuffed him in. He’d died handcuffed to a car. And the case had been taken. 

But it wasn’t gone. All wasn’t lost. Not yet. There was still time – there had to be.

“If it helps,” Levi said, voice low, “yeah, you might have fucked up, but you saved my miserable life.”

Levi’s dark hair lay flat against his head. He was pale and his clothes were drenched and stained dark with water. A single drop rolled down the bridge of his nose, and he was looking at her like she was both a question and an answer.

He looked away, lips twisting in a grim smile. “It’s a shitty consolation. But it’s something.”

It was a sad, bitter look, and she couldn’t stand it. Not after all they’d gone through. Not when they’d managed to survive the day. Not with the codes loose and no guarantee they’d live to see the next sunrise.

Saving him had been the first step in a series of events that had led to tragedy. But it was one choice of many, and if she were able to do it all over, it was the only one she would make again. She couldn’t have sat by and watched him die.

She hadn’t thought before she saved him, and she didn’t think now.

She pressed her lips against his.

He froze at the touch.

Bracing a hand against his chest, she leaned in – and then he was kissing back.

She had made many mistakes.

Saving him was not one of them.

And she kissed as if to prove it.

His lips were cold, but his mouth was warm, and Hanji moaned as his tongue traced her lips. Her hands slid up his chest, and then along his neck. Cupping the sides of his face, she pressed forward, deepening the kiss.

His hands were at her sides, and then her back. His fingers tangled into her wet, matted hair, drawing her closer.

And then he stopped.

His lips stopped moving and one hand was gripping her hips, pushing her carefully back as the other disentangled from her hair.

She sat back.

His lips were pink and his cheeks were flushed. He pushed her away, wincing as if the act physically pained him.

“Levi?”

She’d thought – well, the way he’d been acting – but perhaps she’d misread the situation.

“It’s,” he hesitated, and sighed, “…been a long day. A lot happened. You’re feeling really shitty right now.”

Hanji stared. “And?”

“When people go through shit like this, they just - shit - they sometimes want a body to be close to. I’ve seen it before. It’s a fucking awful way to cope.”

She frowned, “I know what you’re talking about. This isn’t that.” Meeting his gaze, she added, “It’s not the first time I’ve thought about kissing you.”

“But it’s the first time you did.”

It was true. She opened her mouth, ready to argue, when a thought occurred to her. “Are you not interested?”

Hanji tried to ignore the disappointment sinking in her gut. Before this mission, she’d go so far as to say she considered Levi a friend. But she could have never predicted this: How much fun she’d had spending time with him; the ease in which they talked together; the steadily growing attraction; the absolute trust.

“Of course I’m fucking interested.”

Her head snapped up. “You are.”

“I kissed back.”

And so he had.

That settled it, then.

Grabbing the front of his shirt, she leaned in. He met her halfway.

Between kisses, she worked his shirt buttons loose. “I don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow. I want this now.”

“You sure?” His hands were on her shirt, hesitating at the buttons.

“I promise you,” ducking down, she pressed a long, slow kiss at the juncture between his neck and jaw, “this, I will not regret.”

His chest flushed. He uttered a quiet curse and said, “Not in the tub.” And then he was dragging her up.

They rose from the bath and stumbled to the bedroom, leaving wet clothes behind them, forgotten on the bathroom floor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are...heating up? lmao but really, rising action is coming up next.


	16. Chapter 16

The hotel room window was open. Pale curtains swayed as a cool breeze, carrying the crisp breath of morning, drifted into the room. A bird perched on the balcony. Levi watched, eyes half-lidded, as it flitted to and fro, warbling an incessant melody.

Beside him, Hanji slept, long limbs tangled in the bedsheets. Early morning light caressed bare skin.

She snored softly, face pressed against her pillow and hair standing up at odd angles from her head. Levi carefully brushed a hand over her cheek. Absentmindedly, he worked his fingers through the tangles in her hair.

He hadn’t meant for this to happen – not here. He’d be a fool to not recognize his growing feelings for her, but he had every intention of ignoring them – perhaps indefinitely, but _at the very least_ until the mission was completed and they were safely home.

But last night had happened.

He’d seen her falling apart, and he knew better than any what it felt like to fracture, and so he’d held her. There, underneath the shower’s hot spray, they pressed together. He could feel her heartbeat, fluttering against his chest. Her teeth chattered, and shuddering breaths tickled his neck. For as long as he’d known her, she was brilliant, energetic, strong – and seeing her standing at the brink, teetering at the edge of chaos – an edge he’d toppled from before – he’d been shocked by his visceral need to pull her back from it. Soaked and shivering in the shower, he wanted nothing more than to hold her together.

He hadn’t meant for Isabel and Farlan to come out – not like this. But they had. The story was told. To prove she wasn’t alone, he shared his greatest failure.

And it could have stopped there. It probably should have stopped there. But then she was holding his hand. Cold fingers intertwining with his own, she just _looked at him_. Her face was open and her eyes were bright, and _god_ the way she’d looked at him – it was like those big brown eyes were looking straight through him. She’d read his file – she knew what atrocities he’d committed in the name of freedom, and now she knew his greatest failure. And she was looking at him as if _none of it fucking mattered_.

When she kissed him, it was the wind-chimes on the porch outside his childhood home, the smell of fresh rain, the second of anticipation between lightning strike and thunder; it was like falling.

To be an agent, to live the life he did, he had to be strong – physically, mentally, emotionally. It took everything he had to push her away.

She wanted him, she said. Not because of the accident, not because of the mission. And not simply for the sake of wanting. But because she wanted _him_.

And then they were kissing again, and _damn_ the consequences. He didn’t care.

He’d lived his life for others. Just this _once_ , he wanted – _he wanted_ , and now, in the quiet of the morning, he couldn’t help but wonder how the world would curse him for it.

She lay beside him, long limbs stretched languidly between the bed and the sheets. Her lips were parted, and between them she sighed, soft, slow breaths.

He imagined they weren’t here for launch codes, but to explore the world. The morning would be indolent, and breakfast called in. There’d be no hurry to get dressed. The sun would be high in the sky before they felt any pressing need to leave. And then they’d go and explore, eat food, sight-see and – and, _shit_ – whatever it was normal people did when they traveled.

He was the worst kind of fool for imagining it.

He’d never wanted this before. He’d never had the chance to want this before.

He brushed his fingers over her forehead, clearing it of messy bangs. She shifted, sighing deeply at the touch, and something in his chest clenched – and gave way.

How  _the fuck_ had this happened?

He brushed away a last errant hair, and then she was blinking, waking beneath his touch. Gaze still bleary with sleep, she reached out and brushed her fingers over his lips. Her lips curved up in a slow, sleepy smile. She blinked again – and tensed. She sat up, glancing quickly about the room. Realization struck.

She gasped, clutching at the sheets. Pressing a hand over her mouth, she swore. “Pastor Nick – the codes.”

And then she was out of bed. Stumbling, still tangled in sheets, she ran for the bathroom.

The birdsong ceased at the sound of her retching.

Once he’d found and put on his boxers, Levi joined her in the bathroom.

Half-wrapped in white sheets, she knelt before the toilet. She was pale and her upper-lip was damp with sweat.

Levi wet a cloth and dropped down beside her. Cupping the side of her face, he turned her head, and carefully wiped up the vomit from her chin.

She closed her eyes and whispered, “For a second, I forgot. How could I have forgotten?”

Folding the cloth, he wiped at her lip with a clean edge. “You needed a break from remembering. It happens to everyone.”

She swallowed, as if rallying for composure. “Have you heard anything? From Erwin? Mike?”

“Not yet. I was going to check in soon.” He’d need to. If they hadn’t found anything yet, they’d be increasing their search radius.

Grabbing the cloth from him, Hanji pressed it over her face. When she pulled it back, she’d steeled her features. “Okay. I’m okay. Let’s call Erwin.”

Was she? Levi watched as she turned on the sink and started splashing water over her face. She certainly hadn’t come to terms with the events from yesterday - not yet anyway. She hadn’t had time.

After patting her face with a towel, she grabbed for her toothbrush.

She wasn’t okay. But she was keeping it together. For now, that was good enough. It would have to be.

She’d never forgive him if he tried to send her back now – not that she’d go. He wasn’t certain even a direct order from Erwin could persuade her to return to headquarters at this point. She was determined to see this through.

Levi knew that they needed her. Her knowledge about Titan and her experience with their weaponry was unrivaled. He might have been fucking foolish enough to develop feelings for her on a mission as dangerous as this, but he wasn’t so selfish as to deprive the world of her aid.

“You gonna call Erwin?” Hanji said, toothpaste dripping down her chin.

Levi ignored the impulse to wipe it away. “Yeah, yeah. I’m going.”

The phone rang once before Erwin answered.

“Agent Ackerman?”

“What’s the situation?”

Low voices buzzed in the background of the call. “We have agents tailing known Titan agents and our top analysts have managed,” Erwin paused and Levi could hear a muted voice speaking nearby. “No. The data points otherwise.” Erwin cleared his throat. “My apologies Levi – as I was saying, our top analysts have determined two likely locations for where they may have taken the codes. If our predictions our correct, the missiles are there as well.”

“What are the two locations?”

Hanji, who’d been buttoning her shirt, perked up. “They’ve got locations?” she asked, abandoning the buttons. “Put him on speakerphone!”

Levi switched the conversation to speakerphone as Erwin resumed speaking.

“By tracing the routes of known Titan agents, our analysts believe the codes – and the missiles – are either in a chemical plant in Russia or a museum in Iceland. Both locations are owned by Titan sympathizers and have been visited by increasing numbers of Titan agents in the last two days.”

Hanji hopped, dragging on her pants. “Erwin! Send me the data!”

Erwin replied, his voice smooth. “It’s already sent.”

Hanji dove for her phone.

Levi took Erwin off speakerphone and lifted the phone to his ear. “She’s taking a look at it now.”

The voices in the background quieted, and Levi could only assume Erwin was distancing himself from the commotion. “Are you both okay?”

Levi looked at Hanji. Sitting cross-legged on the bed, shirt still only partially buttoned, she leaned over the glowing screen of her phone.

“Yeah.”

“Hanji?”

“As good as can be expected.”

“Levi! Erwin! It’s Iceland!” Hanji said, beginning to bounce on the bed. And then she was stretching out her hand. “Levi! Give it here! I need to talk with Erwin!”

At Levi’s ear, Erwin said, “Did she say Iceland? Levi, let me talk to Hanji.”

Hanji grabbed for the phone, and Levi pushed it at her with a huff, “Fucking fine. Take it.”

As Hanji began rattling off some numbers to Erwin, Levi searched for his pants. He pulled them on and listened as Hanji talked about patterns and tracking data and key Titan agents. He’d begun the search for his shirt when Hanji hung up the phone. She tossed him his phone and he turned in time to catch it in one hand.

“We’re going to Iceland.”

“When?” Levi asked, tossing a blanket off the bed. No shirt.

“Three days. There’s going to be a ball.”

He looked up, “A what?”

“You know, a party. With fancy clothes. Some dancing.”

“I know what a ball is.” Levi swept a searching foot under the bed. “ _Why_ is there going to be a ball?”

“It’s at the museum. A mansion, really. Erwin and I believe that the event is meant to help mask the arrival of several high profile Titan agents. I think it is where they are going to launch the first missiles from.”

“Shit,” he swore, running a hand through his hair. An event of that nature meant there would be civilians – which complicated any situation. “We’ve got to infiltrate the event?”

“Erwin and I think so.”

“We’ve got a lot of shit to figure out.”

Hanji nodded. “Mike’s on his way over now. My team has sent him all the information they have on the location and the ball.”

Good. When Mike arrived, they could take a look at that information. Hopefully Mike already had a plan in mind. Three days wasn’t much time.

Levi lifted a pillow. Now if he could just find his god damn shirt-

“Looking for this?”

Hanji lifted his shirt from where it hung, dangling from the handle on the bathroom door.

“I think one of the buttons popped off,” Hanji said as she passed it over. “Sorry.”

Levi looked down at the wrinkled fabric. Sure enough, one of the buttons was gone. He fingered the fabric, and said, “I’ve got other shirts.” Not _here,_  of course. But if he was lucky, Mike would bring some along.

As he slipped on the shirt, she spoke.

“Thank you. For last night.”

“Like I said – I went through something similar after killing-”

“I mean, yes, thank you for helping me keep it together…but that wasn’t what I was talking about.” Her gaze drifted over his still uncovered chest. He flushed.

“Don’t thank me for that either. I wanted it just as much as you. I’ve _been_ wanting it. You.” Levi stopped, and closed his eyes. _Christ_. He sounded like an adolescent with a crush.

And there it was, the barest hint of a smile. Hanji leaned in. “Is it like in the movies? Am I the love interest of the week? Maybe you pick up a lover in every country.” She was teasing, but there was a tightness in her voice and a stiffness in her shoulders. She didn’t breathe as she waited for his answer.

Levi stared. She was wondering if he _always_ did this? He cleared his throat, “I make it a point not to sleep with anyone when I’m on a job.”

Her head lifted, “Never?”

Did she sound hopeful?

“It’s not worth the distraction,” he explained.

“Then… why me?”

Why her? How could he explain what he’d realized as they lay together, drenched in that tub: that he didn’t think it could ever be anyone else? He looked up, meeting her gaze. “You’re the exception.”

It was her turn to flush.

They were interrupted by a solid knock on the door. Two rapid knocks quickly followed. Mike’s signal.

Hurrying to button what remained of his shirt, Levi checked the peephole before opening the door.

Mike strode in, “Good morning! Erwin called. He said-” Mike halted, wrinkling his nose. He frowned, looking from the bathroom, to the bedroom, and finally, to the bed.

Realization dawned on his face and his eyebrows shot into his hairline. “ _You didn’t._ ” He turned and pointed an accusing finger at Levi then Hanji. “You did. Oh my god, I knew this was coming – but _here? Now_ of all times?”

He stared at them and they stared back.

“Really. It couldn’t wait?”

Levi didn’t dignify his accusations with an answer.

Hanji merely smiled and shrugged.

Sighing, Mike shook his head. “You’re two idiots, but I’m glad you’re both alright. After yesterday.”

Levi froze.

Fuck Mike. _Fuck him_ for bring it up now. The words left his mouth, and it was like the light left her. Hanji blinked. She took a step back.

Levi moved toward her. He wasn’t sure what he intended to do – or how he should help with Mike standing right there, but he reached for her anyway.

Before he was even halfway there, she straightened up. She was pale, but her eyes had brightened. Hands fisted at her sides, she cleared her throat and said, “We’re alright. Ready to get those codes.”

As she spoke, Levi watched her pull herself together. That first time he’d lost it, after killing the young enemy agent – it had taken him at least a few days to get back on his feet. She hadn’t had twenty-four hours, and she was holding her broken pieces together with what had to be an iron will.

Levi watched her talk with Mike like she hadn’t been completely and utterly broken the past evening, and he wondered if she was, perhaps, the most remarkable person he’d ever met.

The desk was forcefully dragged to the center of the room, and Mike placed a tablet upon it. “This is the estate in which the museum is located, and where the ball will be held.” He swiped, scrolling through maps and blueprints. “It’s huge. Locating the missiles could be a problem – but Hanji’s team analyzed the blueprints and seem to think an observatory on the property could have the space to hold them.”

Levi leaned forward, looking at the maps and pictures that flashed before them.

Mike continued, “Supposedly there’s a passageway that links the mansion to the observatory, but we haven’t been able to locate it.”

Brushing Mike’s hand aside, Hanji scrolled through the material. “It’s not a whole lot to go on.”

Mike nodded, “But it’s all we have. Your team is good Hanji, but they couldn’t get much on such short notice.”

Hanji drummed her fingers on the table as she stared, scouring the material.

Levi spoke up, “So what’s the plan?”

Mike folded his arms, “That’s precisely what we need to discuss.”

“Meaning you don’t have one,” Levi said.

“We don’t have one _yet_ ,” Mike corrected.

Tablet screen reflecting in her glasses, Hanji read through her team’s research, studiously ignoring them both.

“You think we could fly in? With a chopper?”

Mike shook his head, “Too loud. They’d hear us coming. There’s a river nearby. I was thinking we could float in and crawl through the marshes.”

Levi wrinkled his nose at the thought of crawling elbow-deep through marsh mud.

“If you think I’m going to swim through shit-”

“Or we could walk in through the front door,” Hanji said, interrupting them both.

Levi and Mike shared a frown.

Mike spoke first. “Come again?”

“We could always go in through the front door. At least, Levi and I could.”

“Why do you say that?” Levi asked.

Hanji spun the tablet around. “Erwin just sent a communication. It appears headquarters recently received two invitations. To the event. One for Levi, and one for myself.”

Mike snatched up the tablet. The pale screen lit his face. He swore. “How the fuck did they even know where to send it?”

“We already have one confirmed mole,” Hanji answered, grim.

Mike passed the tablet to Levi. On the screen was a picture of two ornate invitations. One was addressed to him, and one to Hanji Zoe. They had been cordially invited to the ball.

Well fuck.

Levi set the tablet down hard. He didn’t like this. He didn’t like this one fucking bit. “They’re playing us.”

Mike snorted, “Obviously. But how?”

“What could they possibly gain from inviting us there? Why would they want us anywhere near those missiles?” Hanji mused. Reaching up, she tightened her ponytail and began to pace.

“Maybe it’s a decoy? Could the missiles be somewhere else?” Mike wondered.

Levi shook his head. “We have reliable intel that says the missiles are there.”

“Our reliable intel _has_ been wrong before,” Hanji said.

She had a point.

Across the desk Hanji groaned and added, “Though I’m _ninety-nine_ percent certain this is the place.”

The room was quiet, save for the sound of Hanji’s fingers drumming an anxious rhythm against the desk.

“If you went,” Mike hesitated, “is there some way we could get our agents close enough to ensure your safety?”

Levi shook his head. It was impossible. They could get agents close enough to be of some help, but there was no telling what he and Hanji would encounter once whey were inside.

“Even if we sneak in, they’ll be waiting for us.”

Closing his eyes, Levi leaned against the wall. He knew what they had to do, but he sure as hell didn’t want to do it. It was a trap and he hated the idea of walking straight into it with Hanji at his side.

He opened his eyes. “One of us could go,” he said, throwing the idea out even though he knew she’d never agree to it.

“You’re not leaving me behind.” Hanji straightened up, “I’m the agency’s primary authority on Titan. _And_ you’re about to get close and personal with launch-ready, pressure sensitive, tracking missiles. I guarantee that I’m the only person within a hundred miles who’s studied such advanced weaponry.”

“She’s right,” Mike added, completely needlessly.

Of fucking course she was right. Closing his eyes, Levi pinched the bridge of his nose. “Fine. We’re both going to their god damn ball. Now _tell me_ one of you has a plan to get us out of there alive.”

Hanji and Mike shared a glance.

“We’re working on it.”

 

* * *

 

Hanji massaged her temples. She sat atop the desk, legs folded and with the tablet in her lap.

“Alright everyone!” she called out, “Listen up. We’re going over it one more time.”

Her command was followed by a collective sigh. Every available space was occupied. The small hotel room was filled to the brim with Mike’s temporary team of agents.

From where he sat on the floor, Jean tipped his head back and groaned. “We don’t need to hear it _again_.”

“Oi, Kirschtein,” Levi growled from across the room. “If this plan fails, _we_ ” Levi gestured between Hanji and himself, “are gonna die. I don’t give a rat’s ass if you’re bored. Listen the fuck up.”

Hanji continued, unperturbed, “Levi and I will arrive at the ball at precisely eight. Connie, after dropping us off, will park in the designated parking lot. The car will be stocked with everything we’ll need – all in lead lined compartments. Once he’s parked, Connie will signal Jean and Sasha. Together, the three of you will be responsible for infiltrating the estate from the West. Once you’re in, you need to drop off my equipment in the potted plants on the Eastern terrace on the second story. Once the package has been dropped, join the ball. Blend in and don’t draw attention to yourselves.”

Taking a breath, Hanji turned to Eren, Armin, and Mikasa. “You three have the river route. Because the marsh will provide the best cover, you three will be bringing our heavy artillery. Bring a change of clothes and prepare to infiltrate the mansion on my or Levi’s signal. You are everyone’s back up. We’ll need you to cover us if everything goes to shit.”

“ _When_ everything goes to shit,” Levi corrected.

“And as for Reiner and Bertholdt,” Hanji said, turning to the two remaining agents, “You two will be coming in via the catering company. Subdue two of the caterers and infiltrate the estate wearing their uniforms. Break away as soon as you are able and make your way to a security station. I’ll need one of you to keep watch while the other plants a bug on the security feeds. Once you’ve done that, Mike can be our eyes and ears.”

“Levi and I will search for the missiles. Once I have my gadgets, I’ll be able to scan for them and speed up the process. Once we find them, we will either secure them or render them unusable.”

She took a breath. “Any questions?”

Armin raised his hand.

“Yes, Armin?”

“Excuse me, but I was just wondering,” Armin hesitated, scratching nervously at his head, “If they’ve invited you both to the ball, doesn’t it stand to reason that they might anticipate that we’ll do something like this?”

Hanji nodded. It was a definite possibility. She answered, honest, “They might. But they’ve got the codes and the missiles. We have no choice but to go into this fight, disadvantaged as we may be. It is my hope that by splitting everyone into groups, some will be able to succeed. Even if only a couple of you manage to complete your jobs, we will still have a decent chance of finding the missiles.”

“Maybe I missed something, but I thought we got the launch codes back,” Reiner said, looking up from where he sat. “Who lost them?”

The question was a punch to the gut.

Bertholdt looked over his shoulder and uttered a surprised, “ _Reiner!”_

Levi stared daggers at the back of Agent Braun’s head.

So they’d heard. Everyone but Reiner, apparently.

Hanji steadied her breath and met the young man’s eyes. She couldn’t be imagining the challenge in them. She spoke, keeping her voice even, “It was my fault. I made a mistake. And I’m going to fix it by making sure those missiles _never_ take off.” She held his gaze.

Finally, he looked away. “Good.” And then he was smiling and patting Bertholdt on the shoulder. “Well you don’t have to worry about us. We’ll do our job, won’t we Bertholdt?”

“O-of course!"

Hanji smiled, grim. “Good.” She looked around the room. Eight young faces stared back at her, and her gut twisted in apprehension. If things went wrong, any one of them might not survive. The quicker she found the missiles, the better – for all of them.

With that, the meeting was adjourned and agents left to begin preparations. The ball was in three days. Time was not on their side.

The plans had been shared and duties delegated – now there was just one thing left to do. Before they could leave, Hanji looked for Mikasa, Armin, and Eren. She called them back.

Raising her voice, she said, “I wanted to talk to you three about tactics for when you come in through the marsh-” and stopped abruptly when the door closed behind the rest of the agents. Hanji, Levi, Mike, and the young trio were all that remained in the room.

“Sorry,” she said, speaking at a normal volume as they circled around the desk, “I wanted to hide the true topic of this conversation.”

The young agents shared a glance.

Before they’d arrived, when she, Mike, and Levi were ironing out the details of the plan, she’d had a few moments to study the files of all of the new agents. Based on her search, she’d developed a second part to their plan. Only she, Mike, Levi, Erwin – and now Mikasa, Armin, and Eren – would be aware of it.

“In addition to the jobs you’ve just been given, you three have another mission.” Hanji drew an envelope from her coat and stared somberly at the three agents. “You must tell absolutely no one about this.”

If her suspicions were correct, then their silence was paramount to the mission’s success – and likely their entire team’s survival.

She passed the envelope to them and watched as the seal was broken and the documents pulled out. They read the material, expressions betraying varying degrees of shock.

Hanji watched them closely, gauging their reactions. “I trust you’ll be able to do it.”

It was Mikasa who answered. Eyes like steel, she answered, “Yes.”


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here's the next one! Thank you for all of your wonderful comments - both on here and tumblr :)

They’d moved to a new hotel. With Titan agents about, it wasn’t safe to stay in one place for too long. It was just as well – this room was larger, and they needed all the space they could get.

The room was a flurry of activity. The young agents were in and out of the hotel, packing bags and readying equipment. Sleek suits and dresses were wrapped and guns double checked.

Hanji bent over the desk, pouring over every ounce of information she’d managed to compile on Titan. There was no telling what bit of knowledge might be useful later.

She swiped through a digital file and then turned and rifled through a packet. When she looked up, Levi was stepping out of the bathroom. He wore a dark, fitted suit. The expensive fabric moved easily, hinting at the compact figure and athletic build beneath. Silhouetted by the bright bathroom light, he paused, lifting a hand to inspect a cuff.

“You’re staring.”

Hanji jumped and immediately hated herself for it. Mike had snuck up on her.

“It’s not against the law to stare,” she muttered.

“I’m happy for you. I am. But…you know what you’re getting into, right?”

Hanji blew out a breath, “ _Don’t even_ start.”

Mike held up his hands. “ _Hey_. You gave me a similar talk when Nanaba and I started seeing each other. The dangers of loving someone in this line of work, and _blah, blah, blah_.”

Hanji’s lips twitched. “Pretty sure I ended my speech on a more eloquent note than that.”

“Probably. I don’t remember.”

Rolling her eyes, she said, “I appreciate the thought. But seriously, I’m good.” She added as an afterthought, “And no one said anything about love.”

“Didn’t have to.”

Hanji looked at her hands, then at the messy papers spread beneath them. “I don’t want to talk about this now.” Her focus was essential. The missiles were out there, presumably ready for launch. She had to make this right.

“Right. Sorry. That wasn’t even what I wanted to talk to you about.”

Hanji glanced up, annoyed. “What _did_ you come to talk to me about?”

Mike leaned toward her and lowered his voice, “If it comes down to it, will you be able to disarm the missiles?”

If they were too late, if the launch codes were entered and coordinates set - could she disarm them? That was the question.

It had plagued her.

She’d studied missile blueprints of every variation, and read detailed journals until her eyes couldn’t tell one word from the next. If the missiles were in their original condition, it would be no problem. But she’d be willing to bet a substantial sum of money that they’d been modified.

“I think,” she said, starting slow, “if they are activated, at the very least I should be able to disable the launch.”

Mike stared. “Stopping it from taking off isn’t necessarily going to stop it from exploding.”

Hanji stared back, grim. “I know.”

Mike swore, and rubbed a hand over his face.

Hanji glanced to the side. Levi was holding Armin’s gun, checking the chamber. She looked back at Mike. “I’m not saying that I _can’t_ shut it all down. But it’s hard to know until I’m there and can get them open. If everything goes to plan, it won’t be a concern. They won’t be activated.”

“And what if everything doesn’t go as planned?”

“Then I will stop them.”

He looked at her, dubious.

“I _will,_ Mike.”

“Hanji, I don’t like the idea of you-”

“Four-eyes! We leave in half an hour. Why the hell aren’t you dressed?”

This time, Hanji and Mike both jumped.

She craned her neck, looking for a clock. And _shit – was that really the time?_  

“Sorry! I got distracted! I’ll be ready.” She grabbed for the paperwork and laptops spread over the desk. Shuffling the papers into messy piles with one hand, she rapidly slapped laptops closed with the other.

“What am I wearing?”

Levi nodded to the closet. “Mike brought it. It’s in there.”

Mike sat down at the edge of the bed and grinned. “It’s a formal event, but I know I know you don’t exactly enjoy wearing dresses – so I compromised.”

Midnight blue fabric draped from the hanger. Hanging, it certainly looked like a dress. However, as Hanji ran her hand down the long, silken fabric, she felt where the material split into two wide-legged pants. A jumper, of sorts.

She had the jumper on in minutes. She emerged from the bathroom, hands busy trying to force her hair into a manageable ponytail. The smooth fabric swished with every step, sinfully smooth against her skin. When she passed the hotel room’s buzzing air conditioning unit, goosebumps rose along her back. Apart from twin satin straps that crossed at the center of her back, her skin was bare. Soft strips of fabric caressed her arms. The material didn’t cover her arms completely, and glimpses of skin showed whenever she moved. They were secured by light circlets around her wrists. The front, while admittedly elegant, plunged a bit deeper than she would have liked. Hanji found herself periodically glancing down to make sure she hadn’t exposed herself.

“It’s a good thing I don’t have much of a chest to speak of. As it is, I’m afraid I’ll fall out should anything exciting happen. Though,” she paused, considering, “I wonder if it might serve as an opportune distraction. At the very least it might buy me a second or two.”

Levi raised a brow, “Are you debating the tactical merits of a nip slip?”

“If I’m going to fall out of my top, I damn well better be getting some advantage from it.”

Levi snorted.

Rising from his suitcase, Mike tossed something at her.

Hanji caught it and turned it over in her hand. “Double sided tape?”

Mike winked. “Nanaba uses it all the time.”

“Jesus.” Blowing a breath, she yanked at the roll. “Alright, everybody turn around. Apparently I’ve got to tape my boobs.”

Someone squeaked. Most of the younger agents were out of the room, but at her declaration, Armin and Eren, who’d been working to dismantle a heavy machine gun, twisted to face the nearest wall. Their ears burned red.

Mikasa, who was working on her own gun, didn’t so much as glance up at the declaration.

Levi and Mike both turned to their respective suitcases and Hanji savagely tore at the tape, grumbling all the while. Sure, it wasn’t a dress – but it came with all the same inconveniences. She was going to have a serious talk with Mike about field assignments and practical dress. If she ever ended up on another mission like this, she was insisting on a suit of her own, appearances be damned.

As she finished up, Mike grabbed two bulging duffle bags and left the room. Eren, Armin, and Mikasa followed soon after.

She and Levi were alone.

Hanji glared down at her chest, patting her boobs down to ensure they were secure.

When she looked up, Levi stood before her. He held a weapon in each hand. A gun and a dagger. He set them both on the bed.

All trace of levity gone, he stared at her and said, “We’re walking into a fucking trap.”

Of course it was a trap. Titan wouldn’t be _inviting_ them anywhere close to the missiles if they didn’t have some sort of elaborate plan in the works. But Titan had the missiles and the codes. At this point, they had no choice to play into their hand. It wasn’t as if she and Levi didn’t have a plan of their own.

“We are,” she agreed.

“Quite a few people in that mansion are going to want us dead,” he said and grabbed the gun off the bed, pressing it into her hand. “If it’s going to be you or someone else – if your life is in danger, _don’t fucking think_. Aim. Pull the trigger.”

With the gun, cold and heavy in her grasp, she could only think to say, “You said I shouldn’t have this – not without training.”

“I changed my mind.”

And then his hands were around hers, settling the gun in her grasp. He paused to check the safety before lifting her hands. Holding her wrists, he guided her aim. The gun pointed at his chest.

“A bullet in the upper right or left chest is often debilitating. The torso is a big target. If you have to take a shot, take it here.”

Hanji stared at his chest, horrified at the idea of bullets striking flesh. Her index finger hovered in the air. Though the safety was on, she didn’t dare touch the trigger. Not when he stood before her.

Levi stepped aside. Warm hands cupped hers. Reaching, he switched the safety off. “When you take out the gun, turn the safety off before you do anything else,” he said, then flicked it back on.

As Hanji slipped the gun into a compact, velvet bag, Levi reached for the small, sheathed dagger. From the sheath, two thin straps dangled. The blade slipped from it, quiet as a breath. Carefully grasping the blade, he held it out to her, handle first.

She grasped the short hilt, testing its weight in her palm. She’d cut herself before, on a blade far less formidable than this. In her lab, she’d tried using a utility knife to pry open an old fuse panel. She remembered the feeling of warm blood trickling down her hand.

“Save it for a close combat situation.” Levi frowned down at the blade. “You’re not trained, but I want you to use it if you’re ever pinned down. Aim for the gut.”

“Right. The gut.” Hanji stared down at the short blade. From the knife’s angled sides, her fragmented reflection stared back at her.

“Here.” And then he was taking the blade and the sheath. Gentle fingers lifted one of the strips of cloth on her arm. He wound the straps around her bicep, securing the blade so that it was concealed beneath the draped material. He brushed his hand over the sleeve, checking that the knife was properly concealed. Then his fingers were gliding over her skin.

She closed her eyes, leaning into his touch. It was remarkable that simple contact could be both calming and exhilarating at once.

“Hanji.”

She opened her eyes.

“I mean it. _Stay alive_. Don’t hesitate. For once, don’t think. Kill and _damn the consequences_." Levi said, emotion written in the crease between his brows, the slight parting of his lips.

They were hard, brutal words, whispered like a prayer.

Hanji felt the weight of the dagger on her arm – the gun in her bag. She would use them. What kind of person that made her, she couldn’t tell. But the lives of innocent people were at stake. If any one of those missiles launched, countless would die. She would stop the missiles to save them – to prove Pastor Nick’s sacrifice wasn’t in vain. And she’d use whatever weapons she had to in order to accomplish that task.

And damn it, she wanted to live.

The blade weighed on her arm. When she closed her eyes, she imagined warm blood dripping down her hand.

“I will.”

Something in him relaxed. “The assholes won’t know what hit them,” he said, and the corner of his lips quirked up as he brushed a wayward hair from her face.

She smiled, small. “After all you’ve gone on about me, I’ll never forgive you if you let some Titan agent get the better of you.”

As an experienced, field-trained agent he was, of course, less apt to be caught by surprise than she. But they were going into the heart of enemy territory with odds that were stacked against them. No one was immortal.

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll do what I can.”

She turned, pressing a swift kiss to the fingers that lingered near her cheek. “Not good enough.”

He stilled.

His knuckles were rough. She brushed her lips over his scars. He was as human as she – and she was afraid for him.

Finally, “I’ll do my best.”

“Better,” she whispered against his skin.

The door swung open with a click.

“Agent Ackerman,” Mikasa said, tone flat, “Agent Zacharius says everyone is ready. And,” she paused, glancing between them, “… perhaps we should keep focused on the mission, sir.” Mikasa’s lips turned up and she looked positively gleeful.

Levi stiffened and turned, frowning over his shoulder. “Agent. Wait with Jaeger and Arlert in your car.”

Turning on her heel, she called back, “We’re ready when you are.”

Hanji looked after her, mystified. She’d never heard so many words from Mikasa at one time.

Levi abruptly turned and grabbed up his holster and gun. “Punk ass kid, using my own fucking words against me.” Grumbling, he secured the weapon in its customary position beneath his jacket.

Hanji watched him, brows lifted in amusement.

Levi straightened his coat and checked his reflection once in the mirror. “I’m demoting her.”

She huffed a breath, “Let’s worry about surviving this mission first.”

“I’m serious. She’s a brat.”

“She’s a mini-you. Of course you’d think she was a brat.”

Levi looked at her, scandalized.

“You’re both masters of a cold, moody exterior that perfectly masks a giant, squishy, _feeling_ heart of gold.”

Levi held the door for her, “You fucking wound me, four-eyes.”

Hanji grinned and he responded by grabbing the back of her neck and kissing her solidly before they descended the stairs.

* * *

They’d flown into Iceland as a group. At the small, isolated runway they split into their designated teams.

Mikasa, Armin, and Eren sped away in a jeep, heading for the river that ran East of the estate. Bertholdt and Reiner drove south in a fast, nondescript car. Mike followed not long after in a dark van. Sasha and Jean had caught a ride with him.

Hanji and Levi rode in a small limousine. Up front, Connie drove, uncharacteristically somber. 

The car was quiet. Levi checked his gun, then the knives at his ankles. Hanji stared out the window, watching the Icelandic countryside pass by. Green, pastoral fields darkened beneath a lavender dusk.

It was Connie who broke the silence.

“Titan killed my family.”

Connie’s hands clenched over the wheel. His knuckles were white. Staring resolutely at the road ahead, he squinted and bit his lip.

His file had said nothing about this.

“Oh Connie.” Hanji leaned forward. She placed a steadying hand on his shoulder and squeezed.

His voice was choked, “We’re going to stop them, _right_? No one else should lose their families.”

This time, it was Levi who answered. “We’re going to stop them,” he said, matter-of-fact.

Connie sniffled.

Hanji gave him another squeeze. Keeping her voice low and gentle, she said, “Connie, you’re going to have to pull it together now. Levi and I will do _everything_ in our power to locate and disable those missiles. But you’re an integral part of the plan. Are you up for this?”

Levi watched him closely.

He knew as well as she, the odds were against them already – there would be little room for error when it came to individual performances. Their mission depended on Connie doing his job, and doing it well.

In the front seat, Connie blinked rapidly and straightened. He cleared his throat. “Sorry – I am. Of course I am.” He glanced back at the mirror and met Levi’s gaze, and then hers. “I won’t let you down. _I swear_.”

Hanji released his shoulder with a pat. “I know you won’t.”

Connie stared ahead at the rapidly darkening road. “We’ll save them. Everyone.”

Hanji looked out the window, but the countryside was dark. She could no longer make out the green, rolling hills.

The mansion was an incandescent beacon. It stood apart from the nearby town, a lone monument on the hill. A long, tree-lined road led them to the estate.

A line of cars circled the drive, waiting to drop off their occupants. They followed the line, painfully slow. Connie’s fingers drummed a nervous rhythm on the steering wheel. As they circled, Hanji put in an ear-piece. Beside her, Levi did the same. Microphones were already hidden on their persons. In order to ensure that the mission was properly coordinated, everyone had been outfitted with covert two-way communication devices.

Connie stopped the car. A suited figure stepped up and opened the door.

A draft followed the intrusion, and cold air bit at her exposed skin.

Levi rose from the car and Hanji followed. She held tight to her purse as she exited the vehicle. The doorman closed it firmly behind her.

Hanji chanced a glance back at Connie, but the car was already pulling away. When she turned back, Levi was waiting. He held out his arm.

Hanji wanted to smile at the gesture, but she couldn’t. It felt like something was stuck in her throat. Her purse weighed heavy in her hand, and her palms tingled in nervous anticipation.

She took his arm.

Levi really did look handsome.

The thought, ridiculously ill-timed, broke her from her stupor.

As they climbed the long entranceway stairs, she bumped his shoulder. Leaning in, she whispered at his ear. “You may cuss like a sailor – but I’ve got to say, you clean up real nice.”

His eyes rolled up to look at her. “Wish I could say the same,” he replied, his voice dry.

Hanji gasped, feigning indignation. “I don’t tape my boobs for just anyone, Mr. Ackerman. Show some appreciation.”

Levi opened his mouth, but a voice in their ears interrupted them both.

“Jesus, I was all for you two getting together – but spare me from listening to you lovebirds flirt all night,” Mike said.

“Seconded,” someone else chimed in. It sounded like Jean.

“I think it’s cute, you guys.” Sasha.

“Kirchstein, Brause, focus on your jobs,” Mike scolded, then added, “Though I’ll admit, it is _a little_ cute.”

A quieter voice muttered, “…short, hypocritical bastard.”

-which was immediately followed by a much louder, “Mikasa _shhhh!_ ”

“Would all of you _shut the fuck up_ ,” Levi hissed under his breath. “We’re almost in.”

The voices in their ears immediately silenced.

Heavy wooden doors opened and bright light washed over the courtyard.

Levi looked at her. “Ready?”

From somewhere inside, music played. There was the drone of voices and the occasional peal of laughter.

Was she ready?

It wasn’t that long ago that they’d flown into Belgrade. She remembered staring out the window, watching the city come into focus beneath them. She’d been so excited.

The adventure had begun shortly after. Guns blazing, they fled the Titan lab after the failed extraction. Not long after, she was attacked in the hotel room. Armed with a cell phone and a tazer, she’d managed to fight the Titan agent off and protect her research. She and Levi had driven over European countryside, had found Pastor Nick, and forged an unlikely partnership with the quiet pastor.

Annie had betrayed them. Hanji had taken Armin and Jean to rescue Levi, Eren, and Mikasa when they were ambushed during their recovery efforts. She’d killed those enemy agents in the warehouse. The very next day they recovered the codes. She’d acted on impulse, saved Levi’s life. Titan agents had caught up with her. They’d killed Pastor Nick, and after she crashed, they took back the codes.

And now she and Levi were here, to ensure Titan never had the chance to use them.

She’d gone places – done things – that she’d never dreamed of doing. Before this mission, most days she didn’t get beyond her lab. Not that there weren’t plenty of adventures to be had when researching experimental weaponry – but being out in the field required a different kind of stamina, and it needed another kind of bravery.

She’d made mistakes. But she’d learned – and she was still learning.

And she’d found a partner that she trusted with her life.

“I’m ready.”

Levi eyed the looming entryway and the crowded party beyond. “Stay close.”

Hanji squeezed his arm. Side-by-side, they entered the mansion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mikasa is salty (understandably so) because a few chapters ago Levi called her and Eren out for holding hands. When she walked in on Levi and Hanji, she was all too happy to throw Levi’s words back at him - much to Levi’s chagrin.
> 
> Edit: Uhhhh turns out I'm most of the way done with the next chapter??? I'm going to give myself a few days to edit, but aahhhhhhhhhh i'm so excited for this next one! Everything happens. Everything. Twists that I've been planning from day one are finally coming to fruition. CANT. WAIT.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Believe me, I'm as amazed as you are that these updates are coming within days of each other. LOTS of exciting things are happening and i'm really eager to get to the last few scenes :)))

Warm light bathed the entrance. Sculptures, little more than twisted tendrils of black glass, lined the long hall. Hanji’s head turned, observing the art while Levi watched the open entryway that awaited them.

The room ahead was a sea of dark suits and elegant dresses. They stepped through the arch and the room opened, gaping before them. The ceiling, a massive dome that stretched several stories above, was illuminated by spotlights. Intricate murals climbed across the curved ceiling.

Hanji stared, open mouthed. “Remarkable.”

“What’s remarkable is that no one’s tried to slit our throats,” Levi said, surreptitiously glancing around the room. “Yet.”

“What concerns me, Levi, is their reason for inviting us here. I’ve wracked my brain considering possible motives for the invitations. I can’t think of a single one that makes any logical sense.”

Mike’s voice buzzed in their ears. “That particular mystery concerns me as well. Reiner and Bertholdt are almost to the security room. I should have complete access to the security feeds soon.”

Levi and Hanji shared a glance.

Mike continued, “In the meantime, hold tight. Jean will notify you when Hanji’s supplies have been dropped.”

“We’ve snuck onto the main estate. We’ll have the goods dropped off in about five minutes,” Jean said, his voice low and crackling.

Levi nodded toward the stairs. They might as well start making their way toward the designated balcony.

Hanji nodded in understanding and took the lead, easily weaving them through the crowd. It must be nice – to be able to see over the shoulders that surrounded them, Levi thought with no small amount of envy.

As if she’d read his mind, Hanji glanced back, and gave his arm a supportive squeeze.

She’d valiantly attempted to wrestle her hair into some sort of order. The resulting up-do left much to be desired. And _god_ , maybe he was the love sick asshole that Mike seemed to think he was, because Levi looked at the messy ponytail and the wisps of hair that escaped it, falling around her forehead and cheeks, and could only think of the morning in the hotel room, when he’d lain in bed, brushing messy bangs from her forehead.

Hanji’s hand was warm, and as they approached the wide, marble staircase, she gave his hand a squeeze. She glanced back, and he nodded for her to lead the way.

Levi looked up, scanning the people ahead – watching for threats. Still grasping her hand, Levi glanced behind them and then to the side, looking over the crowd. He loathed being vulnerable on enemy turf, and Hanji’s presence was an additional stressor. As brilliant as she was, she wasn’t trained for this.

Levi found himself scouring any figures who approached, looking for concealed weapons in the folds of a dress or suspicious bulges in the pockets of a coat. His muscles were in a maddening cycle of tensing and relaxing as he prepared to face any number of potential threats.

It was a risk giving Hanji the gun and dagger. Levi knew many seasoned agents would balk at the decision. It was dangerous to put a gun, and a knife, for that matter, in untrained hands. When not wielded properly, weapons could just as easily injure the user – or an innocent bystander. Levi glanced at the crowd that surrounded them.

Maybe he was a selfish bastard after all. Levi was well aware of the risks, but he’d decided to give her the gun regardless.

For all he’d told her to stay close, he knew they could easily be separated. If she ran into a Titan agent without him, she needed _something_. Giving her deadly weapons was a risk. But Levi found he couldn’t bear the alternative.

At the top of the stairs, Hanji hesitated. She looked left, nodding toward a set of glass doors. “That’s the terrace they’ll be at. We probably shouldn’t approach until they’ve had a chance to clear the area.”

Levi agreed. It was dangerous to have too many agents in one place. They’d be vulnerable to ambush.

They waited, leaning against the railing that overlooked the central ballroom.  Men in dark suits and women in colorful gowns twirled about the floor. Hanji rested her elbows on speckled marble as she watched the dancers. Directly below, a small orchestra played a light, jaunty melody. Above the singing strings, voices droned. The partygoers below smiled, talking amicably with one another. From across the room, someone laughed.

Levi watched them, a nervous twinge in his gut. In this room alone, the civilians numbered in the several hundreds.

Below, a young woman in a saffron dress spun beneath her partners arm. Grinning, she laughed gaily and kissed the other dancer soundly on the cheek.

Should things turn violent, would they be able to evacuate everyone safely? Levi wondered if the people here were invited solely as an obstacle for their team to consider. Not to mention the missiles. The partygoers had no idea nuclear warheads were hidden somewhere on the premises.

The woman in yellow spun again. She moved; behind her was a flash of blonde hair. Levi glimpsed dark gray eyes and an arching nose – and then the crowd shifted.

Gripping the rail, Levi leaned forward, scouring the shifting bodies.

Hanji squeezed his arm. “What did you see?”

Levi scanned the crowd and swore. “I don’t know. For a second I thought I saw Leonhart. But she moved, and I couldn’t tell for sure.”

“Where?”

At his ear Armin spoke, “Annie? You saw her?”

“Armin…” Jean murmured. His voice was tight with concern.

Ignoring Arlert and Kirchstein, Levi answered Hanji. “Just to the right of the orchestra.” He nodded in the general direction. “I thought I saw her near that woman in yellow. It was just for a second. _Shit_. I can’t even be positive it was her.”

Hanji fingered her purse. “Whether you saw her or not, we should act under the assumption that she’s here – and that she knows detailed personal information about the members of our team. It’s likely that she will use that knowledge to exploit us. This goes without saying, but everyone should be on their guard.”

This time it was Connie who answered. “Got it. Sasha’s scaling the wall with your bag now. Jean and I are keeping an eye out. She’ll have it in position in under a minute.” There was a quiet swear. “ _Jean, look at her climb!”_ Connie hissed. _“Sasha, you’re so good at this!_ ”

“Connie shut up and watch your six,” Jean muttered.

Levi scowled as he was forcefully subjected to their idle chatter. There was a reason he usually refused to work with newbies. _Christ_ , they were like a pack of over- excited puppies.

Hanji nudged him. “Let’s head toward the terrace.”

Hanji led the way and Levi followed after, surreptitiously glancing at the people that milled around them.

Ahead of him, Hanji hesitated, peering through the glass panes of the door. She turned back, “It’s there. I can see where Sasha put—”

Hanji froze. She stared over Levi’s shoulder.

Squashing his every instinct, Levi repressed the urge to turn. “What is it?”

When she didn’t immediately answer, he pressed her, “ _Hanji?_ ”

Dipping toward him, she whispered, “Behind you. It’s _Pieck_. She’s here.”

Pieck. Levi knew the name well. She was one of Titan’s agents – one that worked directly under Zeke. Which meant – something in Levi’s chest stuttered and ice flooded his veins – Zeke was likely on the premises as well. Suddenly Levi smelled smoke and fire, and the horrible, acrid smells of newly wrought destruction.

Warm hands gripped his shoulders. Solid hands. Levi looked up and met brown eyes.

He’d told her his story. And Hanji knew more than enough about Titan’s hierarchy to comprehend the significance of Pieck’s presence. She knew what this meant for him.

They were in a mansion, surrounded by civilians and were likely being watched by any number of Titan agents. Levi knew there were strategies to be discussed, plans to be made, but when Hanji opened her mouth, she said, “Are you okay?”

Levi had the absurd urge to laugh. He wasn’t close to okay. The entire situation was fucked. Zeke was here. Close to his team. To their youngest agents. To Mike. _To Hanji_. Levi had a sudden, ludicrous desire to grab Hanji by the wrist and drag her down that marble staircase, out the front door. Bad things happened to the people he dared love. And Zeke was _here_ and there were _fucking_ missiles somewhere beneath their feet-

The hands on his shoulders squeezed, _“Levi._ ” And then they were at his jaw, cupping his face. Hanji leaned in. He could feel her breath as she said, “It’s okay. We’ll be okay.”

Levi closed his eyes, and allowed himself a moment to feel her touch. It grounded him. When he opened his eyes, he ignored the crisp smell of smoke that had resumed its haunt of him. Pressing aside his fears, he grasped her hands. They couldn’t afford to be bogged down by the sins of his past. Not if they were going to survive the night. Not if they were going to stop those missiles from taking flight.

“I’m okay,” he rasped.

Hanji held his gaze, her eyes searching.

Levi squeezed her hands. “I’m okay,” he repeated. Again, he resisted the urge to look over his shoulder. “What’s she doing now?”

Hanji glanced up. “She’s talking to someone. A man. I can’t see his face.” She frowned. “Wait, she’s moving.” Hanji tensed. “Levi, we still need to find that passageway. What if she leads us to it?”

Levi stared at her, calculating. Pieck was in motion. She could very well lead them to the passageway and the missiles. Or she could lead them on a worthless trip around the party. And Hanji needed to get her equipment. Preferably before anyone spotted it and picked it up.

Hanji’s eyes flicked up, tracking the agent behind him. “She’s moving. She’s moving, Levi. Away from us.”

Levi stood motionless, trapped in the throes of indecision. Logically, he knew what they should do. It didn’t mean he wanted to do it.

“Levi,” Hanji pressed. “ _We’re going to lose her._ ”

_Shit._

“Hanji,” Levi grabbed her arm and squeezed. “Can you get your equipment? I’ll tail Pieck.”

Hanji nodded resolute. “I’ll grab it and try to tag after you. I’ll radio you if I fall behind.”

And then she was stepping back, away from him. Levi let go of her arm. He watched her go.

It was Mike’s voice, inquiring as to whether or not Sasha’s team had managed to successfully infiltrate the party, that fully tore Levi from his stupor. Instinctively brushing a hand over his gun, Levi wrenched his gaze from Hanji’s retreating form. He repeated her words in his head. _It was okay._ _They’d be okay._

Levi turned and scanned the crowd and – there she was. Pieck’s dark hair tumbled loosely over her shoulders. She wore a sleek, maroon dress. Hands swinging at her sides, she walked toward a hall on the Southern side of the mansion. Levi noticed she moved with a slight limp.

Adjusting his jacket, Levi marched after her. The haze of panic had already begun to clear from his head. Levi was frustrated with himself – disappointed that he’d nearly been overcome, after all this time. It was the first time he’d encountered Zeke since that dark night, so Levi supposed the raw emotions his underling had dredged up weren’t completely unexpected. But that didn’t make them any less unpleasant.

Before entering the hall, Levi spared a quick glance over his shoulder. Glass doors swung closed as Hanji stepped onto the balcony. Ignoring the flicker of unease in his stomach, Levi turned and pressed ahead. Pieck was too valuable. They couldn’t afford to lose her now.

* * *

 

It was ludicrously cold. As she pushed through the glass doors, chilly air struck her, harsh against bare skin. Cursing, Hanji hunched her shoulders and marched across the terrace.

“Mike,” Hanji said, teeth chattering. “Your wardrobe selection for me this evening leaves much to be desired.”

“Ah. Sorry,” Mike answered. To his credit, he did sound guilty. “I asked Gelgar for help. Now I’m thinking I should have asked Nanaba.”

“Damn right you should have.”

The duffel was tucked beneath an elaborately leafy potted plant. Crouching at the bag, Hanji fumbled with the zipper, forcing her freezing fingers to obey her. As soon as it was open, she grabbed out several devices. The first of which was a precision scanner that would better help her analyze the missiles. Next, a pair of heat-sensitive imaging goggles. She’d hoped they would assist her in locating any hidden rooms – or any people that happened to be standing close enough to closed doors. Last, she grabbed a small remote-like device. She and Moblit had spent months perfecting the technology that would allow for an EMP producing device to be constructed at this scale.

Hanji ran her thumb over the remote. She’d asked for it to be sent – mostly as a last resort. Most missiles had fail-safe measures and would explode the instant an EMP pulse was released. If Hanji wasn’t able to fully disarm the missiles, she could potentially use the EMP – but only if she successfully reprogramed them to ignore their commanded fail-safe measures first.

The best solution by far was to prevent the missiles from being activated in the first place.

Working quickly, Hanji tucked the three most important devices in her purse. Before grabbing the duffel with her remaining tools, Hanji hooked the purse on the jumper’s elegant belt. It was an uncomfortable weight on her hip, but it would leave her hands free.

As Hanji lifted the duffle, the barely audible swish of an opening door sounded behind her.

She whirled.

A man stood, silhouetted by bright light. His blond hair was brushed stylishly back. Lifting a hand, he pushed round glasses higher on the bridge of his nose.

He was flanked by two men in suits. They’d done a poor job of concealing the guns strapped beneath their jackets.

Hanji grabbed for her purse.

He held up a hand. “Now, _now!_ Research Scientist Hanji Zoe! Let’s not make this messy!” The men on either side had hands on their guns.

“You’ll never get the gun out of your purse in time.” He smiled. “Why don’t you just leave it there for now?”

Hanji slowly lowered her hand. She took a step back. Icy marble stung her back. She was at the rail. She chanced a glance down. It was high. She wasn’t confident she could make the jump.

“Oh don’t go jumping off there,” he said, his voice maddeningly pleasant. “We haven’t even been properly introduced.”

The men on either side of him stepped forward and Hanji spread her feet, widening her stance.

“It seems like you already know who I am.” As Hanji spoke, her microphone picked up her words. The quiet conversations coming from the earpiece instantaneously silenced. Hanji looked up, meeting the man’s eyes. “And I’m well aware of who you are, Zeke.”

In her ear, there was a long, horrible silence, and then – “ _Fuck!_ ” Levi’s low voice crackled to life in her ear. “Hanji. _Where are you?_ Are you on the terrace? Hold on. _I’m coming.”_

Mike was saying something and then Jean, Armin, and Sasha were speaking at once.

Hanji didn’t hear any of it. One of Zeke’s henchmen had lifted his gun.

Zeke held out his hand. “Could I persuade you to accompany me for a dance?”

Hanji glanced at the henchman and his gun. “Seems like that gun is doing the persuading for you.”

Zeke smiled and extended his hand.

Levi’s voice was in her ear. “ _Shit._ Hanji. I’m coming. I’m coming.”

Hanji stepped forward, already missing the cold burn of the marble at her back. It was infinitely better than the uncomfortably warm hand that settled at the small of her back as Zeke led her back into the mansion.

Before they descended the stairs, one of the henchman tugged the duffel bag out of her grasp. She glared.

“Come now. We can’t have you running about with all of that.” Hand pressing firmly at her back, Zeke directed her down the stairs. Hanji looked up, scanning the faces on the floor above. How far had Levi followed Pieck? And had Jean, Sasha, and Connie infiltrated the party yet? Hanji glanced down, looking over the faces below.

As Zeke grabbed up her hand, pulling her onto the dance floor, Hanji looked back. The guards were following close behind. They stood with their hands on the lapels of their suits, weapons within easy reach.

Zeke lifted her hand and placed a hot palm on her waist. Hanji grimaced, baring her teeth in an angry frown.

“Have you ever waltzed?”

“No.”

Zeke shrugged. “From what I hear, you are very, _very smart_. I’m sure you’ll pick it up.”

And then they were moving, bobbing as they spun around the floor. He was right. It wasn’t difficult.

Hanji scanned the crowd, looking for her people – or his. She needed to know what they were up against.

At her ear, Levi cursed. “Hanji.  _Where are you?_ ” A pause. “ _Where is she?_ ”

Sasha spoke up, voice pinched, “The ballroom! I had eyes on her a second ago. I just lost her in the crowd.”

Hanji looked around, seeking something that would mark her position. The window to their left was a beautiful stained-glass. It looked to be a depiction of the story of Icarus. Joyous face turned up, the boy stared adoringly at the sun, unaware – or perhaps uncaring – as his wings melted, disintegrating beneath the rays.

“Ic-”

A hand slapped over her mouth.

“None of that,” Zeke muttered. He plucked the ear piece from her ear and then reached forward, effortlessly pulling the microphone from its hiding place beneath the fabric at her shoulder. He tipped his hand and the devices clattered to the ground. He stepped forward and they crunched underfoot.

Zeke grabbed up her hand, and then they were spinning back into the center of the crowded room.

“As much as I’d love a reunion with your short friend, I don’t have time for him right now. I’m here to see you, Zoe.”

Hanji stared. She moved automatically, stepping with him, as her mind worked furiously, struggling to understand the significance of his statement. He wanted _her_ here? _Why_?

He chuckled. “Look at you. Thinking so hard. You’ve got a big brain. It shouldn’t take you too long.”

Hanji watched him, scrutinizing his face. “That’s the second time you’ve brought up my intelligence. Is that important to you?”

Zeke breathed, “Look at you go.”

“But you _don’t need me_. You have the missiles, you have the _codes-_ ”

The codes.

_Oh god._

Hanji stumbled to a halt.

They’d made a terrible mistake.

“There. You’ve got it now.”

“You _never_ successfully decrypted the codes,” Hanji said, numb. “We assumed, because you were moving them, that you’d cracked them.”

“You should know how dangerous it is to assume.”

She should have.

Puzzle pieces were fitting together. It was why Titan had been searching through her things, why her life had been spared. Had they ever truly meant to kill her? It was why she and Levi had been invited here tonight.

“You see now. We need you.”

“You need me to decrypt the launch codes.”

Zeke inclined his head. “One of our agents has been working on it. So far she’s failed. You’re our backup, Hanji Zoe.”

Hanji at once felt a rousing burst of adrenaline. A fire spread through her gut. If the other agent continued to fail at cracking the code, then the missiles _couldn’t_ launch without her. At least not right away.

She stared at Zeke, triumphant. “I’ll _never_ decrypt the launch codes for you.” She laughed. She’d never felt so free. “There’s _nothing_ you can do to me that would ever convince me to give you what you want.”

Zeke smiled slow. “I figured as much. It seems Mr. Ackerman’s invitation wasn’t without purpose then.”

Hanji froze. An icy shard of unease flickered in her chest. “Levi?”

Zeke turned to the men behind him. “Do we have him?”

He nodded.

Cold washed over her. They…had Levi? Hanji couldn’t imagine he’d be easily captured – but he had been looking for her. He would have been distracted.

“You’re lying.”

Zeke turned back to her. “You’ll see for yourself in a moment.” He grabbed her roughly by the arm. “Come on. Let’s go.”

As they marched off the ballroom floor, Hanji felt the two men moving close behind them. She chanced a glance at the purse dangling at her hip. She wouldn’t have time to dig the gun out, but as she walked, the fabric fluttered over her arms. The dagger remained hidden.

Zeke guided her towards a hallway. At the end of the hall, he gestured one of the men forward. The agent flicked something on a statue and a panel in the wall slid open. The passageway.

Zeke dragged her forward. “Mr. Ackerman awaits.”

The two agents entered behind her, and as she and Zeke plunged forward, she heard the panel slide closed. Zeke’s fingers dug painfully into her skin. Just above his hand, she felt the dagger’s comforting weight. _Aim for the gut_. Hanji’s fingers twitched.

_Not yet._

Zeke tugged her roughly and she hissed, clenching her teeth as she stumbled, jolting painfully forward. The leather straps that Levi had carefully tied caressed her shoulder. From where it pressed against her skin, the sheath was warm. She watched Zeke out of the corner of her eyes, coldly analyzing. Waiting.

_Soon._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd estimate that there are about 3-4 chapters left!


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there! I apologize for the long wait. On the bright side, the next chapter is one I've been looking forward to writing since I started this story. QUITE A BIT happens! I hope you enjoy!

Panic. It was an internal inferno, a buzzing white noise in his head. Levi shoved his way through a sea of decadent fabrics and sickly, stifling perfume.

Think. He had to think.

He couldn’t think.

Mike’s voice was in his ear, commanding the younger agents, but Levi’s mind was stuck, like a scratched record, on the last two things he’d heard her say.

_I’m well aware of who you are, Zeke._

_Seems like that gun is doing the persuading for you._

Fuck. He’d left her for two minutes.  _Two minutes_. It couldn’t have been a coincidence. Zeke must have been waiting for him to leave. The timing of Piek’s appearance was too convenient.

But why? What did Zeke gain from taking Hanji? Did he want a hostage? An informant? She’d never willingly tell them anything. Though Titan wasn’t above resorting to torture. The thought alone made his stomach turn, sick.

The orchestra played a light, jaunty melody as Levi shoved his way onto the ballroom floor. His eyes darted, scanning flushed, smiling faces.

She wasn’t here.  _She wasn’t fucking here_. The tips of his fingers prickled, numb. His palms itched. He violently repressed the urge to reach for his gun.

It hadn't been long since Hanji had gone silent. They must have found her microphone. Levi told himself she’d gone silent because they found her microphone.

“I need eyes on her. Someone get me eyes on her!” Levi snapped, turning a circle in the center of the floor.

He hadn’t bothered to lower his voice, and heads turned toward him. He didn’t care.

“Connie, get up to the balcony. Let me know what you see,” Mike said.

Jean said, “I’m on the dance floor. I don’t see Hanji, but I did just pass a couple of big guys in suits. Looked like they might be packing. I feel like something’s about to go down.”

“Got it,” Levi said, eyeing the crowd.

He turned again, and a flash of blue caught his eye.

There. Near the edge of the dance floor.

Her messy ponytail bobbed as Zeke lead Hanji in a waltz. Her teeth were bared in a grimace and her face had gone white.

Eyes trained on the dancing pair, he moved, shouldering through the crowded dance floor.  They were spinning. Zeke was leading her away.

The white hot panic was returning, because if they disappeared now, he knew she could very well be lost for good.

A partygoer stumbled into his path. Levi shoved him aside.

Still there. Zeke held her.

Reaching into his jacket, Levi grabbed his gun and –  

He felt a twinge - the barest tickle, pressing into his back.

Levi jolted, stiffening. Instinctively, he reached back, searching for the needle that had pierced his skin.

A pair of heavy hands gripped his shoulders. Others grabbed for his arms. He jerked and threw an elbow back. It was blocked. His arm, pinned.

Levi blinked and the room blurred. He blinked again, looking desperately through the crowd. Shadowy shapes shifted. He saw brown hair. Blue satin. A hand roughly clutching her wrist. And then the floor tilted, and he thought of nothing at all.

* * *

 

Levi’s head snapped to the side, consciousness violently returning as his temple smacked against concrete. The right side of his face throbbed with a sharp, stinging pain.

Rough fingers dragged his chin up.

Levi bared his teeth, squinting into bright light.

Knuckles struck his face again, a wet smack.

His teeth had gouged the inside of his cheek, and the salty, bitter taste of blood welled up his mouth, coating his tongue.

“Thought that might wake you up.”

Levi coughed, and spit, “I was awake after the first one, dipshit.” A trail of bloody spit dribbled down his chin.

He was rewarded with another smack.

“Got anything else to say?”

Levi scowled, squinting up. “Not yet.”

The man above him frowned, as he were trying to decide if Levi was being smart. Flexing his fingers, the agent stepped back with a derisive snort.

Levi blinked. The room was finally coming into focus. He was in some kind of basement. Pipes of varying sizes climbed the walls. His hands were zip-tied to a narrow one which ran directly from the ceiling to floor. There were two doors. The one closest to him was metal and looked old. The second door, which was further down the hall, had some kind of hand scanner in front of it.

The man who’d struck him wore a suit. It did little to hide the musculature beneath.

Levi blinked, pushing past the remaining haze in his brain to look the Titan agent over for weapons. He had something just inside his coat. Based on its shape, he’d guess semiautomatic pistol.

A man by the door held an assault rifle. And beside him –

Levi’s blood went hot and then cold.

Objectively, he knew he shouldn’t be surprised. Hanji had suspected. But it was one thing to hear it. Now, the evidence stood before him.

Heads tipped forward, Reiner and Bertholdt talked with the man by the door. They wore the catering uniforms they’d used to sneak into the mansion. Though Levi supposed they hadn’t really needed to sneak at all.

“Did you kill Marco Bodt? Or was that Leonhart?”

All four agents looked up at the question, but it was Reiner and Bertholdt whose expressions showed visible change. On Reiner, it was a shuttered look, a grim spasm of the lips. Bertholdt went pale. His eyes shifted, afraid to settle on anything or anyone for more than a second.

“Does it bother you that my agents thought you were their friends?”

The big agent was coming back, fist raised.

“What about the fact that they’re all going to die? Do you give a shit about that?”

Levi’s head snapped back with the force of the blow.

Grimacing, he spat a fresh mouthful of red.

“Easy! We need him alive.” It was the guard by the door.

Reiner’s fists were clenched. His hands trembled. Bertholdt had gone even whiter. His left foot tapped a fretful beat.

Glancing lazily to the side, Levi watched the big guy wipe his knuckles against his pants.

“I take it you recruited them young.”

Two wide pairs of eyes flicked in his direction.

“Most agencies don’t recruit children. Tends to fuck them up.”

The big agent twisted around, his meaty fist lifting. Before he could take another swing, however, rusty hinges squealed. The nearby door swung open.

Shoved into the room, Hanji pitched forward, palms slapping against the concrete floor. She swore.

Levi moved, surging up. His restraints dragged against the pipe. Hard plastic dug into his wrists.

Hanji looked up – and froze. Her eyes met his. He saw relief, and then horror in her gaze. Behind smudged lenses, her eyes flicked down, taking in his face.

And then an agent was dragging her up.

Behind her, Zeke watched, hands clasped behind his back. “Tie her on the opposite wall.”

“Zeke!” Levi hissed. He yanked at his restraints. “You have me. Leave her out of this.”

At that, Zeke laughed.

The bastard actually laughed.

“Mr. Ackerman, this was never about you.”

Wrenching again at his restraints, Levi glared over his shoulder. “What the fuck do you-”

He was interrupted by a shout.

The agent who’d attempted to zip-tie Hanji, clutched at his side. Blood seeped between his fingers.

In Hanji’s hand, the cold metal of her short dagger caught the light. She stepped back as the other agent rushed in. Grabbing her wrist, he twisted, and she dropped the knife with a pained hiss. She struck at his face with her other hand. He deflected it, and as the injured agent grabbed her around the waist, pinning her arms, her feet kicked out.

One foot, as if by accident, sent the dagger spinning accords the floor. It slid beneath a crate a few feet from where Levi was tied, out of sight.

Levi looked between Hanji - still struggling - and the crate. Hey eyed it, estimating his reach, before quickly glancing away.

Hanji shouted curses as the two agents grappled with her flailing limbs.

Zeke finished tapping a message on his phone, and looked up, annoyed.

“Could you  _please_  restrain her?”

One agent held her as the other wrestled the plastic tie around her wrists. A shriek cut through the room. One of the agents jumped back, shaking his hand. She’d bit him.

With all eyes on Hanji, Levi stretched his leg out and hooked a foot under the crate. He slid it an inch closer.

Zeke swore, and Levi froze.

Frowning at the struggling agents, Zeke gestured emphatically at his phone. “I’m working on getting a very sensitive package brought here. Could you please just tie the woman up?”

Levi scooted the crate an inch closer.

The big agent grabbed Hanji, wrapping his arms around her in a tighter hold. She slammed her head back.

He shouted as blood poured from his nose.

“Reiner, Bertholdt. Make yourselves useful,” Zeke snapped, gesturing toward Hanji and the two agents.

When Reiner and Berthold had their backs to him, Levi stretched out his foot and again, hooked the crate. It slid across the floor, wood hissing against concrete. Breath frozen in his chest, Levi checked the five enemies in the room. Their focus was still on Hanji.

Reiner reached out a hand, intending to grab Hanji’s hair in a restraining hold. As his fingers brushed her hair, her head tipped back. “Agent Braun!” she snapped, “This is your commanding officer! Stand down!”

Reiner’s eyes opened wide. Started, he froze.

She kicked him in the gut.

As he dropped and Bertholdt jumped in to grab her, Levi toed the dagger out from beneath the crate. Beneath his heel, Levi slid the dagger over the floor. He hunched down, stretching his fingers, even as the zip-ties cut into his wrists. The tips of his fingers brushed metal - and Zeke looked up. Jolting, Levi kicked the dagger behind a large, nearby pipe.

He only needed a few seconds. He’d be able to reach down and cut himself loose.

As the agents stepped away, Levi got a clear look at Hanji. Her hair was falling out of its ponytail, and red, angry marks climbed her arms from the agents’ rough holds, but she otherwise seemed unharmed.

She met his gaze and her brows drew down. He knew what she was asking.

She hadn’t kicked the dagger by accident. The diversion had been planned. She’d been a step ahead of everyone else in the room.

In answer, Levi blinked and dipped his head.

“Excellent!”

Both of their heads snapped up at the exaltation.

Zeke slipped his phone in his pocket. “It’s on it’s way here.” Clasping his hands together, he smiled. “Hanji Zoe, you’re about to have to opportunity to do what my agents could not: crack the elusive launch code for our missiles.”

Levi stared, mind struggling to make sense of Zeke’s words. Why would they need Hanji to decrypt the launch codes if they already had-

Levi’s thoughts shuddered to a stop as he realized the truth.

They’d been wrong. From the start.

He froze, as the world flipped and righted itself again.

Zeke wanted to use Hanji to decrypt the launch codes...and they’d delivered her right to him.

Levi went absolutely still. He stared at Zeke, cold fury seeping through his veins. “I swear to god, if you hurt her, _if you even touch her_ -”

“Don’t get me wrong,” Zeke effortlessly interrupted, “we’re prepared to do whatever’s necessary to get the codes, but I don’t think it will come to that. Will it, Hanji?”

Smiling, Zeke turned to Hanji, but she was already looking at Levi. Her expression was agonized.

Oh.

Shit.

Levi bent, reaching for the dagger. Two pairs of hands grabbed him before he could get to it.

He struggled, but Reiner and Bertholdt were strong, and Levi could do little with his hands still tied.

Hands folded, Zeke paced - slowly, methodically between them.

“In moments, one of my agents will arrive with the codes. Hanji-” Zeke turned, and smiled, “you will decrypt the launch codes. If you don’t, I will put a bullet through the brave Mr. Ackerman’s head,” Zeke said, and pulled a gun from his coat.

* * *

 

Hanji’s pulse pounded, and her arms dragged against the ties that bound her wrists. The cold, horrible reality of their situation sat like a lead weight in her stomach.

Even if  reinforcements managed to find them, it was unlikely they’d be in time. With Titan agents crawling all over the mansion, it was entirely possible they’d been captured as well.

One assumption - one mistake - had doomed them all. They’d walked into a trap.

She likely wouldn’t be able to decrypt the codes, even if she wanted to. It simply wasn’t that easy. And even if she could, she wouldn’t. It was either their lives or the lives of hundreds of thousands - maybe millions of innocent people. It was no choice at all, really.

Cold logic did little to quell the bitter, twisting pain in her gut. Levi’s grey eyes held her gaze. She couldn’t look away.

It wasn’t fair. He deserved so much more than this.

She tugged ineffectually at her restraints and took a shuddering breath.

Fabric rustled. Shoes scraped against concrete. Levi grunted. Elbowing Reiner, Levi managed to kneel. “Hanji. Hanji, you can’t give it to them,” he said, voice low, all but begging.

She closed her eyes, because of course she knew. She’d always known. But hearing him say it was the final, horrible nail in this coffin they’d built together.

“I know, Levi,” she said and swallowed. “I’m so sorry.”

“No- fuck. This isn’t on you.”

“So emotional,” Zeke sighed. “But understand, after I kill him, I’ll round up the rest of your agents in this building, and I’ll kill them too.” There was a long pause. “If it comes to it, I will start rounding up the civilians upstairs.”

Horrified, Hanji could only shake her head.

“It would be a tragedy. But the most profound change is borne of great misfortune. And make no mistake, all of this - it is a tragedy. But like a phoenix borne of ashes, after these bombs, society will start anew. No more passive cruelty. No more inequality. A clean slate.”

“You’re insane,” she breathed.

Zeke knelt before her and smiled. “Admittedly, it took me some time to understand. To truly understand. When I was a child, they told me again and again, the world has so much potential,  _we_  have so much potential. But the paint has long dried. We are stuck in our ways. For anything to really change, it’s not enough to wash it away. We’ve got to burn the very canvas.” 

He chuckled. “I didn’t get it. Not at first. I had to see the cruelty of the world. Of people. The privileged. And then I witnessed chaos, and destruction - and death. And do you know what I discovered?”

Breathing heavily, he leaned in.

She turned her head.

Rough, insistent fingers gripped her jaw, twisting, forcing her to face him.

Through clenched teeth, she hissed, “what?”

“Violence, tragedies, think of them like a wound - in people, humanity. Afterwards, people mourn. They cry. And they come together. Neighbor helps neighbor. Petty differences mean nothing in the face of  _true_  tragedy. Eventually, they rebuild. Like flesh that knits itself together, scarring over where there was once weak flesh, societies - people - emerge stronger, forged by the crucible of disaster.”

He heaved an eager breath, “And this - this will be a crucible unlike any other.”

“Sir. I’ve got it.”

A young man stood at the door. He held a dark suitcase up in his hands.

Lifting the gun, Zeke waved the agent in. “Come in, come in! Set it up directly in front of the lovely Hanji Zoe.”

Hanji watched as the young agent fumbled with the case. She couldn’t tear her eyes away from the dark, scuffed leather. The last time she’d seen it, there was so much blood. They were careening off the road.

It popped open. Inside, a secured, silver tablet waited. As she watched, the screen flickered to life. A long string of seemingly random letters and numbers scrolled over the screen and halted.

She squeezed her eyes closed. She couldn’t solve a puzzle she couldn’t see.

“Oh come now. Won’t you take a peek?”

The click of a cocked gun was absurdly loud in the small room.

It hurt to breathe. Her hands had begun to shake. She saw Pastor Nick. A hole in his head. Blood all over the seats.

Zeke called to someone across the room. “Fetch me one of her other agents.” And then, quieter. “Farewell, Mr. Ackerman.”

She couldn’t do it. Her eyes snapped open. In front of her, the screen glowed bright. Beyond it, Levi knelt. Zeke stood before him. On either side, Reiner and Bertholdt held firm as Zeke raised the gun and pressed it against his temple.

“No - please.  _Please_!” She spoke, the fumbling words hiccuping out of her throat.

Zeke glanced back, unconcerned. “That’s not going to save him.” He shook his head, and pressed the gun more firmly against his temple. “This will be a good lesson. They’re rounding up the next agent as we speak.”

“Wait!”

Hanji glanced frantically between Levi and the codes. She couldn’t, she couldn’t,  _she couldn’t_ , but something in her broke at the sight of Levi kneeling, gun pressed against his head. There had to be something. She shook. There had to be  _something_. Her eyes scanned, reading over the letters and numbers, looking for a hidden pattern, a hidden code. The glowing screen and letters twisted together and pulled apart, lists burned into her retinas. She couldn’t give them the launch codes. But maybe - maybe she could give them something else.

Her heart was racing and her palms were damp with sweat. She leaned forward, searching the code.

“Hanji,” Levi breathed. “What-” He started, and then stopped. Wiping his expression clear, he stilled. She could feel his steady gaze as she worked.

He didn’t understand.

She’d explain. Later. If she managed to buy them enough time.

Biting her lip, she searched. She couldn’t analyze it too deeply, then she really might decrypt it. She needed to think basics. Look for the false code. It wasn’t common knowledge, but codes with this level of risk occasionally had a false code embedded within. Best case scenario, a false code would lock down the missiles. Worst case, it wouldn’t work and she’d earn them a little more time.

As she worked, pipes made a guttural protest, whining and groaning in the stiflingly tense room.

One of the agents sighed. “Is she actually doing anything, or is she just staring at the screen?”

“Quiet,” Zeke hissed.

Hanji barely heard them, because... there. She scanned a line. And then another. Yes. There it was. It was too easy - not to mention flawed. But it had been designed to look like the decrypted code. It almost fit the pattern. But not quite.

Hanji blinked, wary to look up from the screen. She’d have to sell this. It would be all for nothing if she couldn’t convince them that this was indeed the code.

She sighed, giving a shuddering breath, and looked up. She swallowed and closed her eyes. “Here. I’ve got it.”

“I don’t believe you.”

Zeke turned and aimed at Levi’s head.

Hanji surged forward, dragging at her restraints. “No! I swear,  _I swear_. It’s your code!”

Zeke shrugged. “Maybe I’ll try it after I’ve put a bullet in his head.”

“We had a deal! Does that mean nothing to you? You’re a murderer; are you a liar too? Does your word mean nothing at all?”

Hanji didn’t breathe. She couldn’t. She looked at the gun, and then she met Levi’s eyes.

Swearing, Zeke lowered the gun. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he twisted to face her. “Fine. Fine! God, if it will shut up your whining for the next minute. What is it?”

Hanji recited the string of letters and numbers while the young man by the door took note. When she finished, the room filled with a pregnant pause.

“What are you waiting for?” Zeke snapped at the young agent. “Enter it!”

The agent scurried past them. Hanji whipped her head around, following his progress to the second door in the room. It was on the opposite side as the first and was locked with a mounted hand scanner.

The agent hesitated, “Um, sir?”

Muttering, Zeke pushed him aside and pressed his hand on the scanner. The door slid open.

As they stepped through the second door, the first opened with a scrape. Panting, Pieck stumbled into the room. “I’ve got it. Zeke, I figured it out.” Against her chest, she clutched wads of crumpled papers.

With a hand on his shoulder, Zeke halted the young man holding Hanji’s code.

“I knew you would get it, Pieck! And what fortuitous timing! Here we were, about to give Miss Zoe’s decryption a try. Now we can compare.”

Pieck glanced down at Hanji, surprised. “That was incredibly fast. Well above even our most optomistic projections.”

Hanji, frozen, watched Pieck cross the room.

Levi, though still tied to a pipe, had been released by Reiner and Bertholdt. Straightening, they watched Pieck pass. Behind them, Levi stretched back, reaching.

Hanji watched, silent, as Pieck passed the pages to Zeke. Adjusting his glasses, he glanced back and forth, comparing the two sets of decrypted codes.

He frowned, brows furrowing together. He licked his lips. “Well this is strange. Two very brilliant agents came up with two similar, yet very different codes. Either of you care to explain?”

Clearing her throat, Hanji forced air from her lungs. “It’s possible one of us might have made a mistake.”

Pieck, who’d made a grab for both papers, stared hard at the two lines of code. “Look here,” she murmured, gesturing to a section of Hanji’s decryption. “There are errors here. They’re slight, but this code’s an obvious red herring. I missed it before. It’s far too simple to be the actual decryption.”

Zeke glanced up, meeting Hanji’s gaze. “Obvious?”

He knew. It was no use hiding. Hanji straightened, and returned his stare.

“Pieck, you’re positive you’ve found the correct decryption?”

“I would bet my life on it.”

Zeke nodded and strolled back into the room. His shoes scraped against concrete as he came to an abrupt stop in front of Hanji.

“Pieck. Go. Enter the codes,” he said, and lifted the gun. “As for you, Hanji Zoe - it turns out we don’t need you after all.”

As Hanji stared down the barrel of the gun, she could only think one thing:  _They’d failed. They failed everyone._

There was a struggle behind Zeke. Levi shouted something, desperate, pained.

She imagined the brave thing would be to stare down her death. But they’d lost, and she wasn’t feeling particularly brave. With Zeke’s gun at her temple, and Levi’s strained shouts in her ears, Hanji Zoe closed her eyes.

In the blackness, a gunshot rang.

Hanji’s entire body flinched, but it was Zeke who cried out.

She opened her eyes to see Zeke staggering, clutching his shoulder.

In the entryway, covered from their heads to their boots in marsh mud, three figures stood. Between Eren and Armin, Mikasa's arm was extended, gun raised.

On the other side of the room, Levi uttered a heartfelt, “ _Thank fuck_.”

Hanji couldn’t agree more.

“Move and I’ll put another bullet in your leader,” Mikasa threatened the six Titan agents in the room.

Looking to Hanji and Levi, Armin added, “Sorry we’re late. The trip through the marshes didn’t quite go as planned.”

“Start detaining Titan agents. Then cut Agent Ackerman and Scientist Hanji Zoe loose,” Mikasa directed as the three agents moved into the room.

Still restrained, Hanji could do nothing more than watch the tense scene.

Mikasa had her gun trained on Zeke, who was still upright, but was pale and held tight to his bleeding shoulder. On either side of her, Eren and Armin peeled away. Pulling handcuffs from their backpacks, they approached the Titan Agents.

When Eren reached for Reiner, the double agent struck out.

Eren took a solid punch to the gut, but dodged the second aimed at his face.

Mikasa only glanced away from her target for a second, but it was enough. Grabbing up his gun, Zeke fired blindly.

At which point, all hell broke loose.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ALMOST DONE ALMOST DONE. 
> 
> We're almost there folks! I'd estimate 2-3 more chapters left (if that!). I'm hoping to be able to finish all of it up in the next couple of months. As much as I've loved writing this story, I'd love even more to finally be able to give all of you a conclusion.


	20. Chapter 20

The gun exploded with a harsh  _crack._

Hanji ducked her head. Above, someone shouted. Two responding shots popped in the narrow room.

The bulky Titan agent dropped with a gurgling cry.

Beside him, a pipe burst, punctured by the second stray bullet. Steam hissed as it billowed out, filling the room.

Yanking on her restraints, Hanji twisted away, shielding her face from the scalding heat.

Above, a gunshot went off. And then another. Someone was firing blind.

The air whistled at her ear. The hollow thwack of a bullet struck nearby. She flinched back. A body struck her.

Mouth gaping, she tried to shout, but the air had been driven from her lungs. The plastic restraints dug into her wrists as she was pushed down. Above her, an arm shifted, shielding her head.

“Stay low,” a ragged voice whispered at her ear.

Levi.

Her limbs went limp with relief.

Above them, another volley of gunshots went off. Hanji curled. Above her, Levi flinched. His arms squeezed.

One last harsh crack, then silence.

The ruptured pipe hissed, nearly overwhelming in the sudden quiet.

“Agent Ackerman? Hanji?” It was Armin. He sounded panicked.

“Down here,” Levi groaned.

She felt him shift, and then her restraints snapped apart. Hanji rolled her wrists, flexing her fingers as Levi crawled off her.

Something squeaked, and the steam abruptly cut off.

When Hanji looked up, she saw Armin standing by the superheated pipe, shaking out his hand. He’d pulled a red lever, manually shutting off the flow of steam through the pipe.

Apart from the fallen Titan agent, the room was empty.

Holstering her gun, Mikasa marched to the sealed door. She inspected the hand scanner, flashing red. With a frustrated grunt, she placed both hands on the door’s smooth metal and pushed. It held firm.

“We’ve got to get through that door,” Hanji said, pushing up from the floor. “The launch codes. They’ve got them. They’re going for the missiles.”

Mikasa pushed off from the door with a grimace. Gritting her teeth, she yanked her gun out and took aim at the sensor.

“Put the gun away,” Levi snapped. Bracing against a pipe, he stood. He took a step, and swayed.

Hanji grabbed his arm, steadying him. She stared at his shoulder, startled. The fabric of his shirt was soaked in red.

“You’re shot.”

Levi glared, but it was weak, lacking any true malice. Pale and sweating, he muttered, “No shit.”

Hanji pushed him up against the wall. “Lean,” she commanded, and tore at the fabric draping her arms.

Closing his eyes, Levi took slow, measured breaths.

Hanji wound the fabric around his shoulder, rushing to apply pressure to the wound. He hissed as she yanked, pulling it taught.

“Levi’s right,” she said without pausing her wrapping. “Guns won’t get us through. A busted sensor isn’t going to do us any good. Someone talk to Mike. See if he can hack into the system. Get us in.”

Armin, who was already inspecting the sensor, touched a hand to his earpiece. “Agent Zacharias? Are you there? We’ve got a problem.”

As Armin spoke, Eren approached them, digging something out from a pouch across his chest. When he held out his hand, two communications devices sat in his palm.

Levi reached forward to grab one, wincing at the movement.

Hanji finished tying off the fabric and grabbed for the second.

As she placed the earbud in her ear, she inspected her work. She ran her fingers over the fabric. It was damp. Dark stains speckled the blue material. Blood had already begun seeping through.

Levi reached up. His clammy fingers tangled clumsily with her own. Gently pushing her hand down, he swallowed and nodded. “I’m good. Thanks.”

She shook her head. “Try not to move. The bandage won’t last long. You need to get to Mike, use his first aid kit.”

“Don’t have time.” Levi looked up, holding her gaze. “I’ll be fine,” he said, and pushed past. Reaching up, he switched on his communications. “Mike. What’s the status on the door?”

Warily, Hanji watched him walk away, and switched on her own devices.

At her ear, Mike’s voice buzzed, “-system is somewhat unfamiliar. I’ve got Moblit and the rest of Hanji’s team on the line. We’re all working on it.”

“Mike. Patch me through to them,” Hanji said, striding to the scanner. “I can help.”

“Got it.”

Hand at her ear, Hanji squatted in front of the device. “Moblit - you there?”

“We’re here.” Moblit sounded strained. In the background, she could her the frantic slap of countless fingers on keyboards.

“We should try to break through the software first.”

“Already on it,” Moblit answered.

“A brute force attack?”

“We’re trying it now. No progress so far,” Moblit said.

Tapping a finger on the side of the scanner, Hanji considered. “Try a Man in the Middle, or even a Replay Attack. See if we can use some of our own malicious software to manipulate the data the scanner receives.”

“You got it.”

Gripping the scanner, Hanji waited. She looked up at the door. It wouldn’t take Titan long to enter the codes and add coordinates. They were running out of time. 

Behind her, the room held its breath.

“Moblit-”

“Got it!”

The scanner flashed green. At once, the door slid open.

“Mikasa, Eren, Armin - triangle formation,” Levi commanded. “Go!”

As the younger agents pressed forward into the hall, Levi touched her shoulder. “Stay at the rear. You’re the most important person here.” He glanced ahead. “If they’ve activated any of the missiles, we’ll need you.”

“Wait,” Hanji said, reaching for her bag. She drew out the gun. “Zeke was confident I’d never have the chance to use it, he never even bothered taking it from me.” She held it out. “Take it. You’ll use it better than I could.”

Their fingers brushed as he took the gun.

With another brief glance, Levi entered the hall.

It was longer than she’d expected, stretching several yards beyond the sliding metal door. Mikasa, Armin, and Eren, already near the end, paused. Eren peered cautiously around the corner.

Mikasa yanked Eren back. Drywall exploded as bullets sprayed the wall behind them.

Clutching at his shoulder, Levi rushed to catch up.

Squatting low, Armin pivoted around the corner and fired off a rapid round. Mikasa and Erin pressed up against the wall and took turns peppering their attackers with additional gunfire.

As the rear wall splattered with another round of bullets, Armin jerked back, gasping.

Levi yanked Armin back from the corner.

Armin panted, clutching at his arm, “Just a graze.”

Hanji tore the remaining sleeve from her outfit. “Here. We still need to stop the bleeding.”

She hurriedly wrapped Armin’s arm as Levi stepped up to take his place.

“Shit.” Levi called, “They’re making a run for it!” Stumbling up, he rushed from the cover of the hallway.

Yanking the fabric into a rushed knot, Hanji ran after, dragging Armin at her side.

They emerged into a large hangar. Far above, the ceiling’s panels were sliding. The roof was opening. Five missiles spread across the room. Hanji jerked to a stop.  Alarms blared as the indicator lights atop two of the missiles flashed  bright red.

_No._

Hanji twisted. A garage-like door was open. Beyond it, she could see the pale shapes of the Titan agents fleeing into the night. As she watched, a heavy metal door lowered where the Titan agents had escaped, cutting off the exit.

She pointed toward the closing door. “Stop them!”

She’d only had a quick glance at the missiles, but she’d seen enough. They’d been modified. There was no doubt. She’d seen these additional fail-safe measures before. From the extra keypad to the wires encircling the missile’s body. There were only two ways these missiles could be stopped: A cancellation code - or complete dismantling.

“I’ve seen this before!” she shouted. “One of the Titan agents knows a code! Something to cancel the countdown! With these missiles, I might only be able to cancel the launch.” She pointed desperately at the rapidly closing door. “We need them!”

Levi, clutched at his shoulder as he ran. He barked, “Mikasa! Run!  _Now_!”

Arms pumping at her sides, Mikasa’s boots slapped against concrete as she sprinted across the hangar.

The alarm blared.

Behind her, Armin and Eren followed. Still clutching his bad shoulder, Levi trailed behind.

The door dropped. 

Three feet remained. 

Two feet.

One.

Mikasa slid.

As she skid beneath the metal door, she pivoted, driving her knee into the floor. She threw up her arms, and screamed.

Braced on her shoulders, the door came to a shuddering halt. She trembled. “Hurry.”

Eren slid through. Jumping up on the other side, he reached under, wrapping his fingers under the hard metal.

“Shit.” Eren’s voice was muffled. “It’s too heavy. Mikasa, move!”

Armin slid underneath, and a second later, his hands joined Eren’s in trying to lift some of the weight from Mikasa’s shoulders.

Levi, feet from the door, skidded to a halt.

He turned, looking for her.

She’d halted beside the first missile.

Their eyes met.

“Hanji.”

“Levi. Someone has to enter the codes.”

Behind him, the door shuddered. Mikasa groaned.

Levi’s shoulders trembled. He shook his head. “If we can’t get you the codes - If you have disable the launch on your own, they’ll explode  _here_ , Hanji,” he said, his expression etched with agony.

“I may be able to dismantle them. Stop everything. I’ve got to try.”

He didn’t move.

Behind him, Eren gasped, “Agent Ackerman - Levi - please! It’s going to crush her!  _Mikasa move!”_

“Listen, you have to catch Zeke. If anyone has the code, it will be him. Capture him. Get him to tell you the code. Do whatever it takes.” She looked at his face, gaze tracing his features, memorizing. Just in case. “And then read them off to me.”

She glanced up at the missile. “We’ve got ten minutes.”

Levi stared at her. He still hadn’t moved. A muscle worked in his jaw, and he swallowed, nostrils flaring. Shoulders hunched, he closed his eyes, as if a tragedy were taking place before him, and he could no longer bear to watch.

She started, “Levi, I-”

Behind him, Mikasa gasped. She dropped an inch. The door groaned.

Armin shouted, “They’re getting away!”

Twisting, Levi wrenched himself violently back. Dropping, he rolled under the door.

Someone dragged Mikasa back. The ground shuddered as the door slammed closed. 

They were gone.

She was suddenly, awfully alone. Just her, the missiles, and the wailing alarm.

Her earpiece buzzed with static, and then she heard his voice. 

“Hanji.” Levi’s voice was hoarse. “I have eyes on Zeke. I  _will_  get him. And I’ll make him tell me that fucking code.” Levi panted. “And then I’m coming back for you, got that?  _I’m coming back.”_

Smiling, Hanji turned determinedly back towards the missile. “I’ll hold you to that. In the meantime, watch your shoulder. Can’t have you bleeding out on me.”

“Sure, Four-Eyes.”

There was a crackling buzz, and then his communications cut out.

Levi would catch Zeke. He would get him to tell them the code. She had to believe that he would.

But if Levi didn’t - couldn’t catch him, or if Zeke refused to tell-

She needed a plan of action.

Skimming her hands over the missile, she passed over the keypad, and found the control panel. Locating the seams, she wedged her fingers into the gap, and tugged. The metal panel wrenched away. Tossing it to the ground she peered inside.

She stared, open-mouthed, at the mess of wires and switches that filled it’s belly. “What have they done to you?” she whispered, horrified.

She reached a hand in, tracing the path of a single red wire. 

Hanji leaned back, swearing.

She’d be hard pressed to finish dismantling one in time - not to mention both.

Reaching into her bag, she pulled out the miniature EMP. Leaning in, she took another look at the innerworkings of the machine. The EMP would only work if it wasn’t... _Damn_. There it was. 

Near the back, several wires were bundled. They fed into a back panel lit with red and green flashing lights. When exposed to an electromagnetic pulse, the two active missiles would automatically detonate.

“Shit. Shit. Shit.” 

Hand over her mouth, she stared at the two missiles. Above each of the passcodes, coordinates flashed. 

London and Tokyo. 

She cursed again.

If she could disable the back panel with the fail safe...then she could use the EMP to power it all down. The question was: could she disable it without making the whole thing go boom?

Bracing her hands on the outside of the panel, Hanji leaned in again.

Maybe.

But she couldn’t say with confidence that her tampering wouldn’t accidentally set it off early. Though both missiles were powerful, fortunately, they were old, and wouldn’t have a large blast radius. Hanji glanced around the hangar, speculating. The walls were steel. It would help contain it. She looked up. The roof was open. That wasn’t good. But if it was closed...

Jumping up, Hanji scanned the walls for controls. There.

After a brief inspection, she selected a lever.

With a low groan, ceiling panels shifted. The stars above disappeared as the roof slowly rolled closed.

She ran back to the missiles.

With the hangar sealed, a large portion of the blast would be contained. Still, the mansion wouldn’t make it.

Pressing a hand to her ear, Hanji flipped through stations and then called Mike. She needed to talk with him alone.

“Hanji,” Mike answered, his voice sharp. “I hear you’re with the missiles.”

“You heard correctly.”

“Levi, Mikasa, Eren, and Armin are in pursuit of the agents. Trying to get you a deactivation code.” Mike paused. “How much time do we have left?”

Hanji glanced up. “Eight minutes.”

Mike swore. “And the targets?”

“London and Tokyo.”

He swore again.

“Mike, listen. They’re not going to hit them. Even if I can’t stop the detonations, I can keep those cities safe.”

“What's your plan?”

“I’m planning for the worst. If Levi and the others can’t get the code, I’m going to try to take them both apart.”

“Hanji, you don’t have much time-”

“I know, so shut up and let me explain.”

He waited.

“I’m going to try to disable a key component in both missiles and then hit them with an EMP. But it’ll be risky. And I can’t be one hundred percent sure that the EMP won’t set them off, even after I’ve re-configured them.”

“What do you need.”

Hanji closed her eyes, relieved. “Clear out the mansion. Get the civilians as far away as you can, as fast as you can. Make sure our agents are clear too.”

For a long second, all she heard was static.

Finally, “I can do that.”

“Thank you,” she breathed. “I’m going to disable the launch first. I’ll feel better if I know the immediate area is clear of civilians.”

“I’m on it.” There was a second, longer pause. “Hanji. If you can’t-” He stopped, clearing his throat. “God, if you can’t manage to-”

“I’m going to do everything in my power to stop these things from going off,” she said, and stopped, squeezing her eyes closed. “But, you know, just in case - tell Nanaba to take some time to cloud watch every once in a while - she’ll know what I mean. And Moblit - well, tell him he’s the was just the best.” Hanji’s throat felt tight, and suddenly, it hurt to breathe. “And you too, Mike. You’ve been the best.”

“Hanji, don’t-”

“Clear the mansion, Mike. I’ll do what I can here.”

For a moment, she could only hear static again. “You got it. I  _will_  see you after all of this is done. You got that, Zoe?”

Lips trembling, she smiled. “Got it.”

With shaking fingers, she reached up and cut their connection.

Pushing up, she vigorously brushed her palms over her pants, rubbing away the sweat. First of all -

She grabbed a thin scalpel out of her bag.

Stepping up to the missile, she found three bundled wires. She lined up the scalpel. With a swift tug, she severed them. Hurrying to the next missile, she leaned in. A second later, the same three were sliced through.

Breathing heavily, she looked to the panel above the keypads. Instead of coordinates, the panels both flashed:

GROUNDED

Well. That was that.

Tokyo and London were safe.

Now, she’d have to stop the missiles from exploding. Here.

She glanced up. Six minutes.

Still no word from Levi or the others.

Bracing her hands on the missile, she stared at the mess of wires and knobs within.

Time to work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd say we have two chapters left ;)


	21. Chapter 21

Twigs and brambles cracked, crushed underfoot as he sprinted through the dark. Levi coughed, breaths heaving. Frigid air seared his lungs. With every jolting step, his shoulder throbbed, the gunshot wound stinging with what felt like a blistering heat. His fingers prickled; his arm was starting to go numb.

He didn’t have much time, and neither did Hanji.

Spurred on by a furious desperation, he crashed through underbrush, straining to keep Zeke’s shadowy form in sight.

Above, the air was lit in a pale, white glow. The generator-fed lights surrounding the parking lot bled into the sky, muting the stars.

Zeke was going to try to get a car.

He surged forward, his mind fixated on time, how it was slipping like sand between his fingers. Minutes. They had minutes until detonation.

If the bombs went off, it would be bad. But Hanji was right there.They’d take her first.

God - he wouldn’t be able to fucking live with himself. Not after Farlan and Isabel.  _Fuck._ He couldn’t do this again.

He sprinted out of the wooded area, into the cleared lot.

Zeke had gotten to a car, and as Levi emerged from the trees, Zeke threw himself inside.

Violently swearing, Levi ran, arms pumping at his sides. His wound had settled into a searing ache. Tingling numbness pervaded his chest and arm.

Aiming with his good hand, Levi shot at the car’s windows, and as Zeke peeled out of the lot, he aimed for the tires.

Without breaking a step, Levi ran to the nearest car. With the aid of Hanji’s universal key, the engine roared to life. Gripping the wheel in a one-handed grasp, Levi sped into pursuit.

Clenching his jaw, Levi forced his bad arm to lift, and pressed, activating the communications device in his ear. It clicked on, and his arm flopped down. Levi groaned. He squeezed the wheel as his vision blurred.

“Hanji,” he panted. “You okay?”

A second of silence.

And then,  _“Levi.”_  Hanji’s voice sounded distant, tinny. They must have been approaching the edge of their device’s range.

_“I’m okay. Working on disabling a key component of the bombs.”_

Ahead, Zeke’s car turned, skidding onto a narrow country road.

Slamming his foot down on the gas, his car’s engine revved. Sliding over dirt and grass, he cut the corner, lessening the gap between them.

The red rear tail lights of Zeke’s car bobbed and bounced on the uneven road. In his car, Levi jolted, bumping over mounds and potholes. His shoulder burned, protesting the movement.

_“Levi - hey - are you okay?”_

Though he’d tried to stay silent, a pained noise had hissed from his mouth.

_“Be careful. Re-wrap your shoulder if you have a spare moment.”_

A warm stream of blood trickled down his bicep. He could feel it catching at the curve of his arm, soaking into his shirt.

“The bandage is holding,” he lied.

She didn’t respond.

“Four-eyes. How much time?”

At first she didn't answer, and he thought he’d driven out of range. A flash of panic cut through him.

Finally,  _“Five minutes.”_

Levi shoved his foot down, but the pedal was already on the floor. Engine screaming, he inched, agonizingly slowly, closer and closer to Zeke’s car.

_“What about Eren, Mikasa, and Armin?”_

“They went after Reiner and Bertholdt. I haven’t heard word from them yet. We lost sight of Pieck early on.”

_“Shit!”_

Levi’s heart dropped into his stomach. He stilled, white knuckles squeezing the wheel. “Hanji.  _Hanji?_ ” 

Empty air crackled in his earpiece.

 _“Shit. Here. I’m here.”_  She laughed, weak. _“I tripped something, but I caught it in time.”_

Ahead, Zeke took another sharp turn. Straightening, Levi yanked the wheel, cutting the corner.

Zeke’s tail-lights burned red in the night. The road bumped and the headlights from Levi’s car flashed into his rear window. Almost there.

“How long now?”

_“Four minutes.”_

God.

_“Hey Levi. I think I need to talk. Try to settle my nerves. You mind if I chat? I know you’ve got your hands full. You don’t even have to respond.”_

Levi, preoccupied with stopping Zeke, croaked, “sure,” and pressed down, grinding the pedal into the floor.

_“When I was little I wanted to save the world. Can you believe that?”_

Levi’s engine revved, and his headlights flashed, glaring off Zeke’s fender. He bumped Zeke’s car. Grabbing for his microphone, Levi turned off transmission. He needed to hear her updates, but she didn’t need to hear this. She had enough to worry about.

Grinding his teeth, he pounded the gas again.

 _“People asked me what I wanted to do when I grow up. You know, like become a doctor or an astrophysicist. I always said, I’m going to save the world.”_ She chuckled. _“Who even says that?”_

Metal crunched. A jolt - and both cars bounced off the road.

Zeke’s car bumped up and over a low guardrail. It’s windows shattered as it rolled.

Levi slammed up and down, careening into a ditch. His neck snapped forward, and his head smacked into the wheel. For a second, his vision went dark.

He opened his eyes, and then closed them again, blinking away the bright lights dancing in his vision.

Fumbling for the door handle, he tumbled out of the car. The hood was smashed. Smoke poured out, and something was hissing.

Bracing a hand over his shoulder, Levi stumbled up, single-minded.

 _“I mean, I was eight, so naturally I decided I was going to go about it by saving every animal,”_  Hanji continued, oblivious to the crash _. “I rescued birds, lizards, frogs. Anything that was hurt was brought back to my room and kept until I could nurse it back to health.”_ She sighed, _“I actually managed to save quite a few. My room was a horror though.”_

Hot liquid trickled down the side of his face. Levi wiped at it with the back of his arm. His sleeve came back red.

 _“Eventually I didn’t just want to save animals. I wanted to save people too. In sixth grade, after my friend was beaten up by a bully, I insisted on bandaging them up - ah hold on. Gotta get this wire.”_ She breathed, _“Anyway, I then insisted on getting back the bully. It was justice. I had this whole plan, Levi. We were going to outsmart him.”_

From the overturned car, Zeke crawled. Shallow lacerations marred his face and arms.

 _“It didn’t work. He figured it out and came for us. There was nothing else to do, I stood up to him. I fought.”_  Another weak chuckle.  _“I lost. Horribly. It wouldn’t have been so bad, but after he got through with me, he beat up the rest of my friends too.”_

Levi stumbled down the grassy embankment, drawing out the gun.

Digging his elbows into the mud, Zeke wiggled, straining to get out of the car. As he rose, bracing a knee underneath himself, Levi lifted the gun and fired.

Zeke screamed, clutching at the back of his thigh.

 _“I hated losing, Levi. It was the worst.”_ She paused and took a breath, and he swore he could hear her smile.  _“But you already knew that about me.”_

Levi marched across the dirt. “The deactivation code. What is it?” he demanded, reaching for Zeke’s collar.

Zeke’s arm struck out. He dragged Levi’s foot out and up.

Unbalanced, and with blood burning in his eyes, Levi fell. His back smacked ground.

_“I knew I’d never be able to take on someone like that with my bare hands.”_

Rolling up, Zeke grabbed Levi’s shoulder and twisted, digging his fingers into the raw wound.

The edges of Levi’s vision went white. Distantly, he heard his own guttural shout.

_“The flaw had been in my plan. So I got smarter, worked more meticulously.”_

Throwing up his good arm, Levi struck a fist into Zeke’s gut. As his opponent wheezed, Levi struggled up.

The gun had fallen. It lay nearby, half-buried in mud.

Zeke reached for it, but Levi grabbed for his collar. Wrenching the fabric, Levi violently yanked, slamming his forehead into Zeke’s nose.

_“After Erwin recruited me, I finally felt like I was doing what I’d always wanted.”_

Zeke rocked back.

Levi grabbed for the gun, while Zeke made another grab for his shoulder.

Grunting, Levi dragged the hand away. Throwing his shoulder into Zeke’s sternum, he knocked him flat.

_“I was learning, and researching, and planning; and I was actually doing it. I was helping people. Saving them.”_

Levi bent, grabbing up the gun.

How much time had passed? How much time did he have?

Throwing himself down, he ground his knee into Zeke’s chest, pinning him down. Blinking back blood, he shoved the barrel of the gun beneath Zeke’s chin. “The deactivation code.  _Now._ ”

_“But I never forgot how it felt to lose. To lay there, beaten and bruised, and watch that kid go after my friends.”_

Smiling serenely, Zeke closed his eyes.

Levi jerked the gun, pressing it bruisingly up under his chin. “ _Tell me the fucking codes_ ,” he shouted, voice hoarse and hand shaking.

 _“I couldn’t let it happen, Levi. I won’t let innocent people be hurt if it’s at all within my power to save them.”_  There was a long pause.  _“Levi, I already disabled the launch. There’s fifty seconds until detonation.”_

It was surreal; a waking a nightmare. Listening to those words, Levi felt detached; the world itself was imbued with a horrible sense of unreality.

Levi ground his knee down, driving the air from Zeke’s lungs. Leaning forward, Levi shoved the barrel between Zeke’s eyes. “Tell me the code within the next thirty seconds or you  _will_ die.”

Zeke smiled.

Levi pressed the gun down harder, staring into Zeke’s eyes. “I can make it slow,” he promised. “You’ll wish you’d died in the car crash.”

No response.

Levi’s chest heaved. He couldn’t breathe. He braced the gun against Zeke’s head. His finger, slick with sweat, slid over the trigger. He broke. “ _Fucking hell_ , give me the code. Come on! _Please!_.”

Closing his eyes, Zeke laughed. When he opened them again, he smiled and sighed. “I couldn’t, even if I wanted to. I don’t know it.”

Levi stared, mind and body grinding to a horrible, aching halt.

“I closed my eyes and slapped my hand over the keypad. Picked the numbers at random. So, you see, no one can stop it. Not even me.”

_No. It couldn’t - he couldn’t._

Jerking up, Levi fumbled for his microphone.

“Hanji.” His voice came out a croak.

_“Levi.”_

“I don’t have it,” he said, broken. “He doesn’t know it. He never knew it.”

There was a long, crackling silence.

“Hanji,” he said, begging, though he knew not for precisely what he begged. “ _Please._ ”

A shuddering sigh crackled over the line.  _“Levi, I-”_

Her sentence was broken by a distant alarm and a sudden crash.

_“Shit! Levi I have to-”_

There was a pop, and then nothing.

Levi pressed a hand to his earpiece. “Hanji?  _Hanji?_ ”

There was nothing. Nothing but horrible, unbearable silence.

Levi twisted, looking back toward the estate. He couldn’t see anything. But would be be able to? The hangar had been fortified. And the bombs hadn’t been large.

“Hanji.”

Nothing.

Levi pressed a trembling hand over his eyes. Clenching his teeth, his shoulders shook, and he shuddered. He squeezed his eyes closed.

Maybe he’d done enough shit in his life to deserve this. Losing loved ones twice, under similar horrible circumstances, killed by the same fucked up organization. But what had Farlan and Isabel done? What the hell had  _Hanji_ done? This end was not meant for her. She deserved better.

His lip trembled and his shoulders shook.

Behind him, something scraped.

Zeke moaned. “ _The missiles didn’t go up._ Shit. The bitch blew herself up.”

Levi stopped breathing. His entire body trembled. “I’ll kill you.”

Zeke moved first.

Levi’s teeth snapped together as Zeke’s body slammed into his back, knocking the gun from has grasp.

Twisting Levi caught his wrist. A knife flashed, polished metal caught the dying car’s lingering light.

Levi kicked Zeke’s leg, and both men tumbled to the ground. Wrenching Zeke’s wrist, Levi forced him to drop the knife.

Blood was in his eyes and something else, warm and liquid, was sliding down his cheeks, dripping down his nose. He grabbed up the knife and drove it down.

Clammy hands latched over his wrist. Holding tight, Zeke stopped the dagger’s descent. It halted, an inch from his eye.

Shuddering, Levi tensed, gripping the dagger, pressing all of his weight down.

Beneath him, Zeke’s arms shook. He bared his teeth. “Killing me won’t bring any of them back.” He gasped and the knife sunk a centimeter lower. “It won’t make you feel better.”

“Yeah, I don’t care,” Levi said, and despite his burning, searing shoulder, redoubled his efforts.

The knife lowered.

Zeke screamed.

Rapid tapping footfalls were Levi’s only warning.

A hand snatched at his wrist as a body struck his side. The knife slipped from his fingers as Levi slid. His wounded shoulder hit the ground first. His mind buzzed, blank with pain.

He heard a woman’s voice.

“Zeke. Get up! Come on, we have to go.”

Levi cracked an eye open.

Pieck.

She was leaning over Zeke. Pulling him up.

Panting, Levi struggled to rise.

Pieck noticed. She rushed him, Zeke’s knife in hand.

Levi rolled as the dagger came down. It’s tip sank into the mud. Twisting, he kicked out. Pieck dropped with a cry.

Before Levi could rise, Zeke was there. He kicked, and his hard shoe drove into Levi’s gut. He kicked again and Levi curled. As he drew his foot back again, Levi grabbed the knife, still stuck in the mud.

He plunged it into Zeke’s other foot.

Zeke screamed and Levi rolled up.

Piek was on her hands and knees, feeling along the ground, squinting as the headlights faded. She shouted, triumphant, and lifted the gun.

Levi slapped a hand over the weapon. It fired, barely missing him.

They struggled, grappling for the gun. 

Pieck kicked his shin and Levi stumbled forward. Thrusting an elbow up and out, he knocked her head. She stumbled back. He yanked the wrist holding the gun, and the weapon slipped out of her fingers.

As she dove to retrieve it, Levi brought his fist down, striking the base of her head.

She crumpled.

Zeke was on him with a shout.

Levi raised his good arm, blocking Zeke’s swinging fist. He dodged a second swing, and then punched, striking Zeke's side. Wheezing, Zeke hurtled forward, tackling him to the ground.

Levi’s back struck dirt, and the air was driven from his lungs. He coughed, rolling.

Zeke grabbed a fistful of hair and slammed his face into the mud. He struggled, tensing. He couldn’t breathe.

His left arm was useless. Feet kicking futilely, he dug his right hand into the mud and shoved. Zeke fell back and Levi rolled.

Fingers splayed, Levi's hands skimmed over the ground. His fingers brushed cold metal, and as Zeke roared, surging up, Levi pushed up too.

He struck Zeke, tackling him to the ground. Gripping the gun, he punched down. Once. Twice.

Beneath him, Zeke stilled.

Panting, Levi re-gripped the weapon and took aim.

Zeke stared up, eyes bleary and lids sagging. His nose was bent and his face was bloody. He wheezed.

Levi’s chest heaved, and his left shoulder pulsed with pain. Gasping, he squeezed a finger over the trigger and stared into the eyes of the man he hated. The man who’d taken nearly everything from him. If Zeke had his way, he would have killed hundreds of thousands - maybe millions of people. He deserved death.

Levi’s left arm was losing strength and the gun seemed to shiver in his grasp. His head was clouded and he knew he needed to think, but he couldn’t because  _god damn it_ , his mind was filled with white, buzzing noise, and he didn’t want to think another thought because he’d failed and she was gone.

Clenching his jaw, he re-gripped the gun.

Zeke’s chest rose and fell. From his throat, grated slow, rattling breaths.

Finger on the trigger, Levi squeezed.

And let go.

The gun, still cold, dropped into the mud.

Levi pulled a thin set of cuffs from the back of his belt. Rushing, determined to do it before he changed his mind, Levi rolled Zeke roughly over. Dragging his hands behind his back, he snapped the cuffs closed.

Zeke groaned. “Couldn’t do it?”

Levi yanked on the cuffs, dragging him up. “Almost couldn’t stop myself from doing it.” Bending, he grabbed Zeke by the hair and peered into his eyes. “But you deserve to answer for what you’ve done. And you’re more useful to us alive.”

He shoved Zeke to the ground and moved to cuff the still unconscious Pieck.

Hanji would want this. The thought, alone, caused another sharp stab of pain to lance through him.

Though Zeke was one of their top agents, there were still other Titan officials out there. Hanji would have wanted to talk to him. Find out what he knew. Maybe even use him as leverage.

Revenge offered the briefest of respites. He knew it wouldn’t dull the pain. If capturing Zeke could aid at all in their fight against Titan, it was Levi’s job to take him alive. 

The validity of his decision didn’t make him feel any better. But Levi couldn’t imagine there was much that could make him feel better anymore. He felt stripped, gutted, raw. Closing his eyes, he reached out, leaning a hand on the crumpled car. He was so fucking tired.

A horn honked. Bright headlights glared over the embankment. Levi straightened, reaching for the gun as two figures sprinted down the hill.

“Agent Ackerman!”

Eren.

Eren’s face was a patchwork of cuts and bruises, and Armin’s upper lip was smeared with dark, crusty blood.

“Bertholdt and Reiner - they got away. I’m so sorry,” Armin said, nearly distraught. Beside him, Eren raked a hand through his hair.

Levi nodded to the two slumped prisoners. “We got the ones who matter most.”

Once Zeke and Pieck were secured in the back of the van, Levi threw himself into the passenger seat.

Behind the wheel, Mikasa took one look at him and swore. Pushing him back, she opened the glovebox and tugged a medical kit roughly out. “You need medical attention. For now, use this,” she said, and tossed it in his lap.

Leaning his head back, Levi closed his eyes.

“Agent. Agent Levi.” 

He ignored her.

She groaned. “Armin. Help me. We’ve got to re-wrap his shoulder. And stop the bleeding from his head.”

Levi heard his door open and felt a gust of cool air.

Mikasa hurriedly unzipped the medical kit, and then Levi felt Armin’s cool fingers on his shoulder and arm.

There was the sound of opening plastic, and Mikasa moved, passing something past him, to Armin.

From the back, Eren spoke up. “What about Hanji? Has anyone heard from her?” He paused, as if unsure. “Was she able to completely disarm them?”

The car went quiet.

Levi didn’t want to open his eyes.

“Didn’t sound like it,” he managed.

Beside him, he felt Mikasa go absolutely still. Armin’s hands tightened on his arm. The kid’s fingers were shaking.

Levi opened his eyes. “We should go.”

No one argued.

The van ambled slowly over narrow dirt roads. Mikasa was driving them back towards the mansion - though they would keep their distance from the property. The high likelihood of radiation made going too close unwise.

Levi took out his earbud on the drive. Leaning his head against the cold window, he stared at the lights of the distant town.

Mikasa spoke quietly, communicating with Mike.

“Yes sir. I can confirm we have both Zeke and Pieck.” A pause. “Yes. And...sir?” She took a breath. “About Hanji.” Mikasa stopped, listening. Her fingers squeezed the wheel. She shook her head, a reaction to whatever Mike was saying. “A hazmat team is enroute? Sir, do we have confirmation on the nature of the explosion that occurred in the hangar?”

Levi closed his eyes. His chest throbbed with an unidentifiable ache.

Mikasa tapped the wheel. At last, she sighed, “Understood.”

Tires crunched over dirt and stone.

“Agent Levi,” Mikasa said, finally. “I’m sorry.”

He shook his head, bumping his wrapped forehead against the class. “Don’t.”

The parking lot was crowded with evacuated guests. Men and women in bright vests wove through the crowd, attempting to build order.

As soon as they parked, a dark van pulled up beside them. Two women, Agents Nanaba and Brzenska, stepped smoothly out of the vehicle.

“I hear you’ve got some prisoners for us to transport,” Nanaba said. “Erwin sent a plane. We’re supposed to have them at the airport within the hour.”

Levi nodded to the back of the van.

As Rico moved to retrieve them, Nanaba watched Levi pull himself slowly out of the car.

“Rough night?” she asked, smiling.

Swallowing, Levi looked at her. Nanaba and Hanji were friends.

Smile slipping, she stepped toward him, “Levi? Are you okay?” She reached for his arm.

He stepped back, avoiding the touch. Swallowing again, he shook his head.

Nanaba’s brows drew together. She frowned. “Where’s Hanji?”

Shaking his head, Levi echoed Mikasa’s words. “I’m sorry.”

Turning quickly, he walked. Leaving her behind him.

 _Coward_ , he thought.

As he walked away, he heard her questioning Eren. And then she was calling loudly for Mike.

Levi walked faster.

Shoving his hands in his pockets, Levi marched through the crowd.

As he approached the mansion, the masses thinned. The wide, grassy front lawn was completely barren.

He didn’t stop.

Crossing the lawn, he skirted the building. As he walked through a dark, silent orchard on the way to the hangar, a voice in his head that sounded too much like Hanji reminded him of the radiation danger. He didn’t listen. This was more important. He had to know. He had to see it with his own eyes.

As he walked, his shoulder resumed its throbbing protest.

He ignored that too.

As he approached the hangar, he slowed. The air was warm. It smelled of fire and smoke.

Levi stopped.

The top windows of the massive hangar were blown out. Haggard shards clung to the sills, all that remained of the thick panes. Beyond, the building was dark, charred.

Clenching his fists, Levi turned away. Pressing his lips together, he closed his eyes. _Fuck, fuck, fuck-_

“Fuck!” The shout echoed between the trees, and faded, swallowed up by the night. He took a shuddering breath.

Behind him, something knocked.

He stilled, swallowing his breaths.

It came again. A knock against metal.

Frowning, he turned. Clutching at his shoulder, he approached the hangar.

“Hanji?” he called. His voice cracked. To hope was to hurt, and he wasn't sure how much more of that he could take.

“ _Hanji?_ ” he called again, louder.

The knocks redoubled, pounding. In the hangar, he could hear someone’s muted voice. They were shouting.

Heart in his throat, he placed his hands on the door. The heavy metal vibrated. They were striking it from inside.

Levi pushed up on the metal. It wouldn’t lift - wouldn’t budge. He pounded his fists on the door in frustration. The knocking on the other side answered, insistent.

Turning, Levi surveyed the surrounding area. Across the orchard, a chain-link fence was under construction. Levi grabbed up a metal post and rushed back.

Ignoring a flare of pain in his shoulder, he stabbed the bottom of the post down, wedging it beneath the base of the door. Shifting his weight, he heaved.

Heavy metal groaned. Slowly, reluctantly, the door lifted. 

Dark smoke seeped out.

Panting, Levi strained, forcing his left arm to obey him. He swore.

The door rose. Less than a foot of space separated ground and door.

He could hear shuffling. A figure crawled out.

She was stained dark with smoke, and her clothes and hair were singed. Hands splayed on the ground, she knelt, shoulders heaving as she took great gasping breaths.

Hanji.

The post slipped from his fingers.

She jolted, flinching as the door crashed down.

And then she was looking up. Blackened brows lifted, and she breathed out in a heavy, relieved whoosh. “Levi.”

He didn’t remember moving. One second he was standing, the next he was on his knees, arms wrapped around her, dragging her against his chest. He breathed in rough gasps. His fingers tangled in her hair as he pressed his face against her neck. Closing his eyes at the feel of her warm skin, he took a deep breath. And then another.

“Okay? You’re okay?” he asked, squeezing.

Her head jerked, nodding quickly. “Are you? Your shoulder.”

“It’s patched.”

“The others?”

He nodded, running a reverent hand over her back, through her hair. “Fine. All fine. We captured them. Zeke and Pieck.”

For a long moment, they knelt, tangled together, breathing. Silent.

Face against her neck, lips brushing her skin, he murmured, “They said something exploded. The way you cut off when we last spoke-” He stopped. Winding his fingers through her messy hair, he heaved another long breath.

Her hands were at his shirt, tugging him closer, then shifting, wrapping tighter around his back.

“Something did explode. But it wasn’t me.”

Hand lingering at the back of her neck, Levi leaned back. “How?” 

Behind smoke-blackened glasses, her eyes shone. She spoke fast. “I disabled the launch, and then went after the backup fail-safes on the bombs. My plan was to completely disable them and then use an EMP to deactivate the bombs. It was going well until the end.” She paused. “I was on the last stage of dismantling the second fail safe when I got some wires crossed and accidentally activated the missile engine.” She shook her head, hair falling around her face.

Levi brushed it back without a thought.

“With the missile forcefully grounded, it was basically revving up with nowhere to go. I managed to fire off the EMP, which completely disarmed the missiles - and took out my comms as well - but it was too late for the missile engine. Control had destabilized and critical pressure was already reached, so - boom.” She smiled. “But a survivable boom. I had just enough time to take cover.”

Levi looked at her. Singed. Hair falling everywhere. That big smile.

Something in his chest loosened. He felt light.

Cupping her jaw, he leaned in.

“Hanji!”

They froze at the shout.

Armin, who’d rounded the corner of the hangar, stood with his hand to his ear. He babbled excitedly into his microphone. “Agent Zacharius. Hanji’s okay. I repeat, Hanji made it. The explosion was something else.” He paused and smiled, “Yes. Levi’s here too.”

Dropping his hand, Armin jogged to them. “We should meet up with Mike! He called in a first-aid team. Do either of you need help?”

“Arlert,” Levi called over Hanji’s shoulder. “You go ahead. We’ll meet you in a minute.”

Armin glanced between them, and stopped short. “Oh!” He said, and took a big step back. “Right! Of course!” And then he was babbling again. “Sorry! I’ll just - uh - I’ll tell them you’re on your way.”

Glancing once over his shoulder, Armin hurriedly jogged back the way he’d come.

As his footfalls faded, Hanji slumped forward. Her forehead bumped lightly against his and she sighed. Levi leaned in, closing his eyes.

“It’s been a long week, huh?”

“Fuck yes,” he answered.

“I’ll admit, most of it was just the worst. Absolutely the shittiest. But...” Hanji’s nose bumped his, and he opened his eyes. “I’d be lying if I said it was all bad,” she whispered.

“Not all bad, no,” he agreed, and his thumb stroked slowly, carefully over her cheek. She squeezed the back of his shirt as he leaned in.

Kneeling, they kissed beneath the shadow the still smoldering hangar. 

Slow, gentle, careful, it was the antithesis to everything that had come before it. And Levi knew, well before it was over, and they parted, pulling back to breathe - he’d never want anything more than he wanted this.

“Hey,” Hanji said, whispering, conspiratorial, “After all of this, think I can get Erwin to sign off on some vacation time?”

Levi snorted, leaning back. “ _You_ want to go on vacation? Away from work?”

Hanji loved her work more than anyone had a right to.

“I don’t want a vacation to get away from my work. I want a vacation to get away  _with you_ , you dope.”

Oh. That was - well that was something else.

Closing his eyes, he could remember it clearly: early morning light pouring into their hotel room. Laying, listening to the bird on the balcony. And Hanji beside him, white sheets crumpled, wrapped around her sleeping body. He’d felt impossibly, unimaginably content.

He’d thought he had no right to want this.

As he knelt on the ground, knees pressing against hers, with her warm hands cupping his face and her soft breaths brushing his lips, he considered that maybe, he’d been wrong.

Opening his eyes, he smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's it! Well, almost! Just a short epilogue left.
> 
> I've honestly had so much fun writing this, and I truly hope that you've enjoyed reading it <3


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here we are! I hope you enjoy the epilogue!

“The analysis on the weapon xv prototype needs to be done within the month,” Hanji said, juggling a mound of files in her arms. “The meeting with Erwin got moved to tomorrow. And don’t forget about the ballistics tests! They started yesterday, and results should be coming in.”

Warm hands pressed over hers, stilling her movement. “We’ve got it, Hanji,” Moblit said, and with a kindly, if not somewhat exasperated smile, lifted the files from her grasp.

Armin gave her a thumbs up from where he hovered at Moblit’s side. “Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve extensively studied Research Team protocol and procedure. I’m sure I’ll be able to assist Moblit and the team in your absence.”

Hanji took a deep breath and released it, long and slow. She willed the muscles in her shoulders to loosen. Moblit and Armin were right. It would be fine. Her team had managed perfectly well when she’d been in the field.

Smiling fondly, she grabbed Moblit’s arm and squeezed. “Thank you.”

She patted Armin’s shoulder on the way to the door. “Thank you too, Armin. I appreciate you lending the extra help.” She paused, considering, and added, “especially with Annie, Reiner, and Bertholdt still on the loose. I know a part of you wanted to join your friends in their search efforts.”

Armin pressed his lips together and nodded. “It wasn’t an easy decision. But it’s the right one. I think, for now, I’m more help here. Besides, since Zeke and Pieck have yet to divulge anything, I’d like to do some digging into their backgrounds. See what I can find.”

“We’re lucky to have you, Armin,” Hanji said, and meant it.

He blushed. “I’ve been wanting to help out in your department for a long time. I’m just glad you’re giving me a chance. I’ll be sure to keep you updated on our findings!”

“Yes! I’ll have my phone-”

Before she could finish, Moblit was at her back, pushing firmly. “Nope. No. We absolutely will not. You’re going to relax and  _enjoy yourself_.”

Hanji laughed and allowed Moblit to propel her forward. “Alright, alright. I’m going. I confidently leave the department in your very capable hands.”

As she stumbled out the door, Moblit called after her. “Have fun! And so help me, if you call to ask about an experiment, I _will_ hang up on you!”

There were only a few current experiments she was heavily invested in anyway. At most, she’d call once. Maybe twice.

Mike found her as she ducked and dodged her way through the crowded central hall. Stepping alongside her, he slowed his steps and matched her stride.

“You never did tell me where you two are going.”

“Would you believe me if I told you Erwin has literally ordered it to be kept classified?”

“Absolutely. That is the most Erwin thing I’ve ever heard.”

Hanji smiled and bumped his shoulder. “He’s just wary about having us both out there. He thinks the fewer who know our whereabouts, the better.”

“He’s probably right. Though I’d say you’ve both proven you can soundly handle any shit that is thrown your way.”

“We did alright,” Hanji admitted.

“They gave you medals.”

“Yeah. We’re pretty great,” Hanji said, and glanced up and grinned.

Mike chuckled. “You two are good for each other.”

As they distanced themselves from the central hall, the corridor emptied and quieted. Near the building’s entrance, their steps automatically slowed.

Hanji’s gaze shifted to the wall. Fresh paint, still bright and glossy, was a backdrop to the line of photographs and plaques.

“You did a really good thing here, Zoe. Arranging for this. I know Levi appreciates it. The other agents do too.”

Hanji looked up, seeking out Isabel and Farlan’s smiling faces. To their left was Marco. And on their right, Pastor Nick. Above the photos, a shining plaque read:

**Our associates. Our friends. Our family. Selfless, dedicated, unimaginably brave, they died so that countless more may live. We remember them, always.**

Marco was all freckles. His hair had been neatly combed, and he smiled charmingly - if not somewhat awkwardly - at the camera.

Isabel and Farlan stood, side-by-side and with arms over each other’s shoulders. They were so young. Hanji looked from their wide smiles to their bright, shining eyes.

In his photo, the Pastor stood in front of his church. He wasn’t looking at the camera, but instead, at something just beyond. His eyes squinted and his lips curved up, content.

Hanji heaved a long, slow sigh.

“How are you holding up?”

She shrugged, honest. “I’m holding. I still have nightmares. About Pastor Nick. The missiles. Zeke.”

“It does get easier. Over time.”

It had already gotten easier, truly. Not as fast as she’d like. But still, it was progress.

“I’ve been talking about it,” she said. “Levi tells me it helps.”

“Good. It’s good that he can help you.”

“We help each other,” she said, and gave the pictures one last long look.

Mike walked her as far as the main doors. They parted with a hug, and Mike squeezed, nearly lifting her off the floor.

“Have some goddamn  _fun_ , Hanji. You’ve earned it,” he said, releasing her. “And please send Nanaba and me some pictures. We’re dying to see what a relaxed Levi looks like.”

Hanji laughed, “We’ll see. I can’t promise the pictures won’t be classified.”

She hopped down the steps, taking them two at a time. Before she reached the bottom, Mike called her name.

She looked back.

“I’m really glad you didn’t die.”

She smiled and said, “Me too.”

At the curb, a dark, sleek car waited.

The tinted passenger side window rolled slowly, leisurely down as she approached. Levi, partially reclined in the passenger seat, flicked a pair of black sunglasses up. “Five minutes my ass.”

Hanji tossed her bag into the open window.

Levi caught it against his chest, and cringed, stifling a cough. He frowned down, incredulous. “It’s not even that big. What the hell did you put in here to make it so fucking heavy?”

“Complain all you want. I’m ready for whatever this vacation might throw at us.”

Hanji threw herself into the driver’s seat as he grumbled, fumbling with the bag,

“Has Erwin deigned to reveal the location of our vacation yet?” she asked, and reached down to adjust the seat.

Levi scoffed, rolling his eyes. “He has a plane waiting for us at the airport. He didn’t say anything other than to pack a bathing suit.”

“Oh! Maybe the Caribbean? Or Hawaii?” Hanji frowned in thought. “Though I can’t rule out South America. Or for that matter, anywhere with hot springs or a spa.”

An impatient hand brushed over her arm, and then along her back. Caressing the back of her neck, he leaned over the arm-rest and pulled her towards him.

It was a brush of lips, brief and soft, lingering only so long as to promise more.

Reaching up, she cupped his face. Tracing his cheekbone with her thumb, she combed her fingers through his hair. He closed his eyes at the touch, and she leaned in, pressing a swift kiss to his mouth, and then his nose.

Dark lashes fluttered against his cheeks, and his gray eyes blinked slowly, contentedly open.

It hit her then, as suddenly as it always did, that they were here, and they were alive,  _and shit,_  they’d made it this far. Titan wasn’t gone, and she knew, sure as anything, she and Levi would be called back to this fight sooner rather than later. But they had each other, and they their team - and their friends. It was hard not to be optimistic about those odds.

“Ready?”

In answer, he leaned back and flipped his sunglasses down.

She twisted the keys in the ignition.

Hand on the gearshift, she paused and said, “For the record. I’m really happy. To be here. With you.”

She expected no response; she’d said it simply because she’d wanted him to know.

The car’s engine purred, and as she shifted into drive, Levi murmured quiet and certain, “me too.”

Hanji snuck a glance at him, and saw Levi had crossed his arms, the tips of his ears rosy.

Her stomach did a happy flip. She bit her lip, trying and failing to completely reign in her smile in the face of his obvious embarrassment.

He roughly cleared his throat and said, “So are we going to find that spa, or island, or whatever the fuck Erwin is sending us to, or not?”

She grinned and pressed the pedal into the floor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that’s it! I hope you enjoyed it! Thank you all for reading along, and taking part in this adventure in fiction with me. I can’t thank you enough for all of your positive reviews, notes, reblogs, and comments that have helped push me through the writing process. You’re all wonderful. 
> 
> Follow me on tumblr: just-quintessentially-me


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